


Triplicity

by GentlyPoison



Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Anal Sex, Banter, Bisexual Male Character, Dirty Talk, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Friendship/Love, Intercrural Sex, It's About Damn Time, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Masturbation, Multi, Multiple Partners, OT3, Oral Sex, Platonic Sex, Playful Sex, Post-Coital Cuddling, Sexual Frustration, Shameless Smut, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-07 17:11:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 24,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16412531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GentlyPoison/pseuds/GentlyPoison
Summary: It's rough when you and your best friend both have a crush on your other, oblivious best friend (especially when he's cursed by an evil presence.) But hey, Maxi and Xianghua are nothing but amenable. Maybe they can figure out a compromise?The Trio OT3 smut fic I can't believe doesn't already exist.





	1. Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Dear quiet, peaceful, hopefully soon-to-burgeon Soul Calibur fandom, 
> 
> I can't believe this doesn't already exist. 
> 
> I love all three members of the Trio, and all the shipping combinations therein. So I says to myself, "Self, you know what you must do." 
> 
> I'm planning this to be three chapters, because with a title like that how can I not. This chapter is strictly Maxi/Xianghua, but things will be escalating from here and we're gonna close this baby out with the climactic threesome. So please stay tuned!

Xianghua’s fingers tightened around hard pectorals as she shoved him back against the wall. She was quick to follow, her body pressing flush to that muscled chest, fingernails dragging over soft, warm skin as her lips crushed to his.  They’d sparred plenty of times before, but never like this, never where she could feel all the strength in him held back by a tether of tenderness, where their bodies were tangled in pleasure rather than combat. The brush of tongue, the taste of liquor… damn, he was a good kisser.

 

There was a groan in his longing sigh, and it was the sound of his voice that snapped her out of it. She pulled back with a gasp, and reality came crashing back in. Her eyes still stung from frustrated tears as she opened them.

 

Maxi gazed back at her. There was still a trace of surprise in his expression, veiled behind the haze of lust. His arms were still around her, one hand at the small of her back, the other squeezing a handful of her backside, and she was still pinning him against the wall with a leg hitched around his.

 

He huffed a breath, his lips shining wet from the kiss. “What is it?”

 

Xianghua blinked. Her heart fluttered in her chest anxiously. “Maxi. I’m sorry. I don’t know if we should do this.”

 

“We don’t have to,” he insisted. “If you don’t want--”

 

“I want to,” she interrupted, without a moment of hesitation. That wasn’t the problem at all. The heat coursing through her blood, pulsing between her legs told her that much. “Gods, I want to, believe me, but I have to be honest… I don’t want you to get the wrong idea.”

 

One of his eyebrows rose high above the other.

 

“I don’t -- you’re my dear friend, Maxi, really, you are, but I don’t -- I’m sorry if I led you on with this, but…”  

 

He stared at her. The other eyebrow joined its mate. “Uh…”

 

“I just.” She shook her head. “I don’t have feelings for you that way. I’m sorry.”

 

It seemed to take him a moment to catch up. “What, you mean, like… romantic?”

 

Xianghua nodded. She swallowed, and prepared for his disappointment.

 

Maxi immediately burst out laughing. “So?”

 

“So?” Now the heat was rising in her cheeks. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

He cracked that cheeky grin of his. “Xianghua, you think I’m in love with every person I’ve ever slept with?”

 

“Well…” Actually, she supposed he had a point. “I guess not. That’d be an awful lot of tavern girls.”

 

“And then some.” The hand at the small of her back gave a reassuring squeeze. Then the hand on her ass followed suit. “Don’t worry about it. Love and sex aren’t the same thing. They’re not even in the same league for me.” The grin faded just a bit to a rare, more sincere smile. “We’re friends. I know that. And if you want a ride on the Good Ship Maxi, trust me, I’m not going to turn it into something it’s not.”

 

There was only one more fleeting moment of doubt, one fleeting memory that kept her from answering him. Brown eyes, glancing at her, looking bewildered. The crackle of fireworks, the scent of gunpowder, a soft voice. The tears burned her eyes once more, and she blinked them away.

 

“Great,” she said, and her hand slid between them, palming him through his trousers. “Just don’t ever use that ‘Good Ship Maxi’ line ever again.”

 

* * *

 

They’d arrived in this seaside village just in time for a festival, and from the looks of things, no minor local celebration. Garlands of woven flowers were strung up on poles all the way down the marketplace, and the people wore fantastically colorful clothes, dyed impossibly bright shades of green, red, pink, and blue. Street vendors hawked feasts of grilled meats and fish, fresh fruits, and desserts made of spun sugar, twisted together and hardened like lace. Couples walked through the streets hand in hand, and women waved blooming branches at them as they passed, chanting some kind of blessing.

 

Maxi returned from the docks with what information he’d gotten from the local sailors. “It’s a festival for lovers. Three days long, and tonight’s the second night. There’s music and dancing, and fireworks when the sun goes down.”

 

“Oh, how fun!” Xianghua’s eyes lit up like the fireworks had started early. “Come on, guys, let’s stay! We haven’t been able to stop in ages!”

 

As always, Kilik was caught up in thinking deeply and taking in the sights around them. “It does look like fun,” he said after a moment. “But we ought to keep moving while we have good weather.”

 

“Oh, come on, Kilik! Just one day isn’t going to hurt anything.” Xianghua tugged at his sleeve, and Maxi could already see the wheels turning in her head. “We’ve been traveling nonstop for a whole month already.”

 

Kilik looked to Maxi, who offered a shrug. “Well, we were looking for a place to stop,” said Maxi. “A couple days to relax would be nice.”

 

“Yeah!” Xianghua gestured at the bustle around them. “And what’s more relaxing than a festival? Music and dancing, and happy people everywhere…”

 

“That sounds like the opposite of relaxing,” said Kilik. But it was apparent by then that any voice of reason the monk would provide would fall on deaf ears.

 

“All these flowers and beautiful dresses…” Xianghua sighed with delight.

 

“All the fine clothes in the market,” added Maxi.

 

“And delicious food…”

 

“And booze,” Maxi chipped in.

 

She clapped. “And booze!”

 

Kilik gave the slightest of sighs, and smiled. “Alright, alright. You two are like a couple of little kids.”

 

They settled at one of the local inns, and set out to explore the market. Maxi went straight for the special clothes, fine silken fabrics trimmed in exotic furs and delicate handiwork, the sort of ostentatious, eye-catching things he used to wear when he was a captain. He didn’t have that kind of money anymore, nor did he have the status to feel worthy drawing so many eyes to himself with flashy fashion.

 

Not the eyes he wanted drawn to him, anyway.

 

He pulled himself away from a jacket with a high fur collar, and heard Xianghua’s voice from the stall next door.

 

“And it really works?”

 

“Absolutely,” said the merchant. “That’s the legend of the orchid charm. If you exchange your feelings with the one you love during the festival, the spell is cast.”

 

“If it hears me tell him…”

 

“Yes. Your fates will be entwined forever.”

 

The shelves of the stall were stacked with orchid blossoms in every color of the rainbow, preserved in pristine lacquer, and each crafted into a dainty corsage. Xianghua cradled a deep purple blossom in her palm, embellished with a green silk ribbon and silver beads. Her other hand dipped frantically into her coin purse.

 

With her purchase complete, she carefully pinned the charm to the front of her collar, then traced the edges of the petals with her fingers.

 

“That’s cute,” said Maxi. “Exploring some local customs?”

 

The Chinese warrior whipped her head up to look at him, startled, then giggled. “Ah, well… it’s just a silly story, I’m sure. But it’s pretty, isn’t it?” She smiled wistfully at the little bloom.

 

“The color’s nice with your eyes.” Maxi smirked, and gave her a pat on the shoulder. “Did you see where Kilik got off to?”

 

“No, he wandered off on his own.”

 

“We’d better go find him. Knowing him, he’s probably gotten into three separate fights and maybe been kidnapped by now.”  

 

“You’re probably right.” Xianghua sighed. “I swear, I can’t tell if he’s reckless, or just oblivious.”

 

“Either. Both.” Maxi carefully adjusted the swoop of his hair. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

 

Reckless, oblivious. Whichever the case, whatever went down between Kilik and Xianghua that evening clearly hadn’t been what she was hoping for. Maxi had been sitting alone beside the docks, watching the fireworks over the sea when he heard Xianghua excusing herself. He caught sight of her pushing through a crowd, head down, shoulders drawn up, and as he followed her away from the bustle of the festival, heard her sniffles and sobs.

 

She wouldn’t tell him what was wrong or what happened, and he felt uncomfortable admitting that he’d already guessed. The conversation went around in dizzy circles as they headed back to the inn. He bought her a drink at the bar, which turned into two drinks, which turned into the two of them linking arms while they knocked back shots of something that burned all the way down. When she decided she’d had enough, they sat swaying on their stools, Xianghua occasionally reaching out to steady herself on the crook of his arm.

 

“Think we should wait up for Kilik?” asked Maxi.

 

“Why?” Xianghua scoffed, and set the cup down on the bar with a clunk. “He’ll be off meditating until dawn, I’m sure.”

 

He smirked. “Want to get some sleep, then?”

 

She looked at him for a long, long moment, her eyes soft, her lips pressed flat, her expression unreadable. At last, she stood up. “No,” she announced. “I don’t want to sleep.”

 

Then she grabbed him by the collar and kissed him, hard.

 

* * *

 

The orchid charm was placed delicately on the bedside table, her last careful motion before she surrendered to the frenzy of Maxi clawing her clothes off. His own vest had come off somewhere on the other side of the room and now all that glorious musculature loomed over her, all hers for the touching. Tempting as it was, she kept her hands to herself for the moment, lifting and tilting to help dismantle her clothes.

 

Maxi tossed her shirt aside like he’d finished unwrapping a present and looked over her, drinking in the sight of her bare chest, skin flushing pink. Years of training carved plenty of muscle into her petite form, lithe and limber, but there was still the tiniest wisp of self-consciousness in the back of her mind. He’d seen dozens of naked women. Surely, Xianghua wasn’t all that impressive.

 

Though Maxi, bless him, looked transfixed by her anyway. There was a reverent look on his face as he palmed her breasts, gently cupping his rough hands. “Damn, these are gorgeous.”

 

“Ah… I don’t know.” Her palms flattened against his pectorals. “Yours aren’t bad either.”

 

With a laugh, he kissed her and settled his weight over her, pleasantly pinning her, bare flesh on flesh. Now Xianghua took her chance to enjoy his physique with her hands, dragging fingertips, admiring all that hard muscle under warm, tan skin. No matter how flamboyantly he dressed and presented himself, Maxi was strong as steel, sculpted by the hardships of the sea. Still smelled of the sea, salt and musk and the slightest hint of that liquor from earlier, anise and alcohol.

 

He drifted lower, kissing his way down her chin and throat, then playing at leaving little marks on her collarbone. His hand palmed her breast, callused fingers circling the bead of her nipple, and when his kisses trailed close enough he brought it to his mouth to suckle.

 

Xianghua gripped his shoulder to encourage him. She planted her foot against the mattress, lifting her knee, coyly pressing between Maxi’s thighs to nudge the growing bulge in his trousers. It earned a strained little grunt out of him.

 

“Careful.” He shot her a glance as he switched breasts. “M’not above humping your leg.”

 

“That pent-up, are we?” She laughed, and dared to bring her fingers up to card through his precious hair. “Kilik and I must really be cramping your style.”

 

He let out a deadpan chuckle as his tongue circled her nipple.

 

“Well, I guess we’ve been keeping you busy, saving the world and all…” She twirled his coiff around her fingers. “Just think of all the lonely ladies we’ve made you miss out on.”

 

He planted a kiss between her breasts, and dragged his lips down her stomach. “And then some.”

 

At his bidding, she lifted her hips and he peeled off her undergarments, flinging them carelessly over his shoulder. He gripped her legs, a hand under each knee, and pushed her back until her head bumped the headboard. “Oof.”

 

“Sorry,” he muttered, and slid up to bury his face between her thighs.

 

A high-pitched squeak escaped her as he got to work, his lips finding the spot to make her squirm with expert precision. She reflexively pressed her thighs together, but Maxi held her open, his thumbs stroking idle circles at the bend of her knee. Within a minute, he had her panting, gripping the quilts beneath her for purchase, her legs subtly trembling in his grip.

 

“Oh, wow, Maxi…” Really, it shouldn’t have surprised her that he could put that smart mouth of his to good use. Practice, she imagined.

 

He came up for air when her hands started shaking, too, resting his cheek against her thigh. “Good?”

 

“You’ve g-gotta be kidding me…”

 

He released one of her legs, and with a hand spared, rubbed two fingers above her slickened folds, circling her clit. “That means… yes?”

 

“Gods, yes.” Xianghua gulped in a breath. “Do that, please… with your fingers...”

 

That sly grin of his formed on his lips, and he obliged her. “Speaking of pent-up, girl, you’re tenser than an anchor line.”

 

“I’m stuck crossing the continent with a couple of bonehead men.” Her head fell back against the headboard, eyes fluttering closed. “I don’t get to… to… ohhhh…”

 

“Take care of yourself?” he teased. “Come on, Xianghua, we’re all adults. You can always ask if you need a little private time.” His fingers eased into a steady, agonizingly slow rhythm. “Or, you know, a hand.”

 

“Hah…” She cracked a blissful smile. “If this is how you lend a hand, I just might.”

 

“Anytime. Besides,” he added, “unlike some people, I know how to take a hint.”

 

His fingers fell into pace with his clever mouth, and soon he had her rocking in his grip. Her arms curled over her shoulders to cling to the headboard, and she begged and whimpered and pleaded his name like a mantra. The heat grew, from a spark to a flicker to a burn, coiling inside her with stubborn endurance. All the while, Maxi worked with a stubborn endurance of his own, refusing to slow down once he found the pace to make her shiver.

 

At last, with one more slide of fingers, one more twist of his tongue, she ignited. She cried out, hips shaking, back arching, hands slipping from the headboard and catching Maxi by the head. Her fingers tangled in the dark locks and pulled as her climax sizzled through her. She slumped aside gasping, shivering warm in the afterglow.

 

Maxi gently pried her fingers from his hair and curled up alongside her, like a cat seeking a narrow beam of sun. He rested his chin on his fist, grinning at her as she looked up. He looked obnoxiously proud of himself, and didn’t seem to care that she’d just wrecked his laboriously perfect hair. “Feel better?”

 

“Much.” Xianghua took a few deep breaths and sat up on her elbows. “You’re amazingly good at that. Practice on a lot of girls?”

 

“Heh… And then some.”

 

The mood between them was pleasant, playful, even, but certainly a little strange. Here they were, Xianghua and Maxi, sprawled out in bed together like this was the most ordinary thing in the world, and not some crazy boundary they’d never crossed before. Or even _thought_ to cross.

 

Not to say Maxi wasn’t handsome-- and he knew it. He was also good-hearted, strong, exuberant, a dear friend she trusted without question. But she’d never before considered him a sexual creature, or imagined him in bed with her. She was a woman with a woman’s urges, and he was a man with… well, a lot of urges, apparently, but he’d never acted like he had any towards her.

 

Now here they were, lying naked in the throes of him giving her an orgasm that rattled her to her bones. At least, she was naked. Maxi still had his trousers on, a fact which, given the bulge, might be annoying him as much as it was annoying her.

 

“It’s nice of you to take care of me first,” she said.

 

“Oh, I don’t mind.” He brushed his mussed hair back from his forehead. “I’m a giver.”

 

“Poor, generous little Maxi.” She gave him little warning before she was upon him, pushing him onto his back. “Let’s take care of you before you rip out of those, shall we?”

 

His eyes widened, briefly, before he let free an anticipating grin. “If the lady insists.”

 

“No need to be coy with me.” Xianghua straddled his hips, palming his bulge through the fabric to give him a few good rubs. “I’m not a complete innocent.”

 

Maxi grunted, his eyes fluttering closed. His hips lifted beneath her, attempting to grind into her palm. “Then I guess you don’t want me to tell you what to do?”

 

“Nope.” With one more obliging grind, she hooked her fingers in his waistband, catching the smalls beneath, and pulled them both over his hips. His cock sprang free, rock hard, the slightest dribble of fluid already glistening at the tip. She shifted to lie flat between his legs, then wet her palm with her tongue and wrapped her fingers around him. His leg twitched at the first touch, so she set a hand on his thigh to hold him still as she stroked him curiously. He lay back against the bed, eyes closed, relaxing

 

Xianghua kept stroking him at that slow pace, idly watching his expression until she knew he’d gotten used to the idea. Only then did she lean closer, swirling her tongue around the head, then taking him between her lips.

 

“Oh, holy shit!” Maxi’s head whipped up from the mattress as Xianghua eased into sucking him. Her head bobbed slowly, up and down, her tongue getting his shaft good and wet. Her eyes met his, and her lips curled a bit playfully at his surprise. “Wow, I didn’t think you-”

 

“Mmm.” She let him slip from her mouth. “I said I wasn’t a complete innocent.”

 

“Hah… Practice?”

 

“Not telling.” She smirked. “But I read a lot of dirty books, too.” She dragged her tongue up the shaft, and cupped his balls in her palm for a little gentle stimulation with her fingers. “But I could just use my hands, if you’d prefer.”

 

“I mean… if I get a choice…”

 

“Hands-only, then?”

 

Maxi’s chest heaved, both fists gripping the blankets. She could feel him struggling not to move his hips. “Nnnh… come on, Xianghua.”

 

“Come on what?”

 

“You know what.”

 

“You want something, tough guy?” She grinned at him. “Ask me nicely.”  

 

He scoffed. “Oh, we’re teasing now?”

 

“Not my fault you didn’t take the chance when you had it.”

 

His laughter was rough and strained through his heavy breaths. “Fuck, Xianghua, you’re gonna kill me…”

 

“Not if you ask nicely.”

 

“Suck my cock--”

 

“Manners, please?”

 

He bit his lower lip, and put on a look that was positively adorable in its earnestness. “Please. Please, suck my cock, beautiful. I wanna feel that sweet mouth--”

 

“Oooh. The compliment’s a nice touch.” She leaned close enough to let her breath ghost across his skin, then with one more pleading look from him, put her mouth to him and got to work with gusto.

 

Dirty books didn’t really offer much instruction on how to pleasure a man with her mouth, but fortunately, a lot of it was common sense. And fortunately, Maxi was more than obvious about what he liked and more than willing to vocalize it, offering her sweet talk and praise and pleading for more. All in all, she enjoyed this far more than she thought she would. He tasted good, masculine, the slightest salty tang on her tongue as he dribbled in her mouth. Soon, she’d slipped her free hand between her thighs again, touching herself, daring to slide a finger in up to a knuckle. Her eyes were closed, but from the sound Maxi made, she knew he could see her doing it.

 

She lost herself in the act, would have been pleased enough to continue until he lost it, too. But a few blissful minutes in, Maxi shifted upright and set a hand atop her head.

 

“Wait. Wait. Not yet…”

 

Xianghua obliged, releasing him with a little pop of her lips. “Mm?”

 

“Not yet.” He cupped her cheek with his hand and moved in for a kiss. Lips locked, tongues tasting one anothers, they rolled across the bed, and Maxi kicked and squirmed until his trousers were on the floor and he was fully naked atop her. There was lust in his eyes again, as though he’d fallen into a trance, and he eased her thighs apart, kneeling between them, stroking his dripping cock with a shaking hand.

 

He pressed the tip to her, the head nudging her folds apart, and Xianghua heard her voice speak without thinking. “Wait.”

 

Maxi froze, blinked, looked down at her like he wasn’t sure he’d heard it. “What?”

 

“Wait. I…” A knot tied itself in her chest as her thoughts caught up with her gut feelings. “I can’t. I’m not…”

 

She grasped Maxi by the wrist, squeezing gently. “I’m sorry. I’m not ready for that.” For the second time that night, she braced herself for disappointment, waiting for frustration or annoyance or desperation to show in his expression.

 

For the second time that night, they didn’t. He merely looked from her hand on his wrist up into her eyes. “Virgin?”

 

She nodded. “I’m sorry. I just want to save that for…”

 

“Ah.” He wet his lips, and gave the shrug of one shoulder. “Alright. No problem.”

 

“I’m sorry...”

 

“Don’t be.” He smiled at her and gave her a reassuring pat on the thigh. “It’s your choice.”

 

For all the ribbing she and Maxi gave each other on a daily basis, sometimes he still surprised her with how basically decent he could be..“Thank you, Maxi.” She smiled back, and the knot fluttered away in her next breath. “You’re a lot sweeter than you give yourself credit for.”

 

As it turned out, complimenting him like that was an easy way to fluster him. “Ah, no I’m not,” he said, waving her off. “I’m a badass pirate, and don’t you forget it.”

 

“I won’t tell a soul.” Xianghua crossed her heart. “Here, we can do something else? I can finish with my mouth, or…”

 

“Let’s see.” It looked like he was already trying to figure that out, looking over Xianghua’s body like it was a puzzle to be solved. “OK. You want to try something kind of different?”

 

“Um…” Xianghua raised an eyebrow suspiciously. “How different?”

 

“Not that different. Just relax and hold still a sec.”

 

He eased back from between her legs, then gripped her thighs and guided her into raising them up, resting her knees against her chest. “This is better with oil, but all I’ve got right now’s the stuff for my hair. So…” He spit in his palm.

 

Xianghua cleared her throat. “Maxi. Sorry, but putting in my ass is _not--_ ”

 

“Oh, come on. Give me a little credit, here.” He slipped his hand between her legs and rubbed between them, slickening the soft flesh. “Just keep your knees pressed together.” Then, with a little adjustment of the angle of her legs, he slipped his wet cock between them, pushing until the tip slipped out on the other side.

 

Xianghua watched in amusement. When he pulled back, the tip vanished back between her thighs, then appeared again as he started to rock his hips. It was a little silly to watch from this angle, but she had to admit, there was something appealing about the friction of his hard shaft rubbing off between her legs. “Where do you learn this stuff?”

 

“When you have a dick and you’re desperate, you figure out all kinds of things.” He braced himself leaning slightly over her, giving him an easier angle to continue the sexlike rock of his hips. “That OK?”

 

“Sure,” she said. “It’s kind of nice. But I don’t get how I’m supposed to--”

 

He scooped his pelvis deep, pushing his cock until the head brushed between her folds, and Xianghua choked back a gasp of surprise. With a little adjustment, now every stroke rubbed him intimately against her, grinding his shaft between her wet lips, rubbing the head dangerously close to too close.

 

“H-how about that?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah… it…” Her face burned hot, and she knew there was color rising in her skin all the way down to her chest. “Keep doing that.”

 

It was better than OK. It was _good_ , even if the friction was a tease compared to what he’d done to her earlier. There was some powerful mental appeal to it, some strange way it felt even dirtier than if she’d just let him fuck her. To flirt so close to penetration without actually going there…

 

Xianghua wet her lips. “Th-that’s really hot, actually…” A shiver tingled through her all the way to her toes. “Does it feel good?”

 

“Feels incredible.” His eyes closed, teeth grit, beads of sweat trickling down his skin. He gripped her knees for balance, exhaustion clearly building in his body, but sheer determination kept him thrusting. And with every stroke, the pleasure swelled inside her, a delicate heat throbbing longingly in her core.

 

“F-faster?” she murmured.

 

“Fuck, yeah.”

 

He attempted, at least, but the physics of the position were a little fraught. Leaning harder wobbled Xianghua off-balance, and she flailed and nearly caught him in the face with her knee. Maxi frowned sharply, again puzzling something out in his head.

 

Xianghua sat up on her elbows. “What if you--”

 

“If I get on my back--”

 

“Uh huh.”

 

She rolled upright and straddled his waist as he lay flat again. Hitching her hips forward, she pressed his cock flat to his stomach, and with a careful wiggle slid her wet folds along him. “L-like this?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah--” Maxi’s rough hands clutched her thighs, pulling her forward as he rolled his hips up to join her. “Holy shit…”

 

“Ah, wow…” Xianghua let her head fall forward, strands of sweaty hair wisping in her face. If she tilted forward only slightly… oh _gods_. “Maxi--”

 

“Ride me, babe, just like that.”

 

“Maxi…!”

 

Organized rhythm turned into desperate frotting. Maxi rocked under her as she bounced in his lap, clawing at his chest for balance, whimpering with delight.

 

“Cl-close…” she moaned. “I’m so…”

 

“I got you. I got you…”

 

Without breaking the pace, he slid his hand between them. His fingers curled to the contour of her body, thumb stimulating her clit, and the next time she rocked forward, it dragged an actual gasp out of her. Twice the sensation, something firm and unyielding in counterpoint to the agonizing tease of his cock. Xianghua gave all that was left of her energy to hanging on, to rolling her hips, to building herself higher, and higher. She only teetered briefly, writhing down on Maxi with frustrated grunt, and then the two forces collided and brought her moaning, keening, nearly sobbing into ecstasy.

 

She trembled astride him, her hips falling out of rhythm, and seconds later his did too. His pelvis rocked off-kilter, his back arched, and he groaned so loud she felt it in her chest. His cock leaped between them, twitching, and pearly streaks of cum splattered across his stomach. He exhaled and flopped limp on the bed, and Xianghua teetered forward and flopped atop him.

 

Breathing heavily over his shoulder, she reflexively curled up to his warmth, wrapping her arms around his solid frame. His arms twined around her too, and he held her tight. By now, a sweet gesture from the Ryukyuan pirate was hardly unexpected, but it drew a smile from her all the same, and earned him a kiss over his heart before she shifted to lie beside him, still agreeably tangled up with him.

 

“Man,” Maxi muttered once they’d both caught their breaths. “You ought to let me take care of you more often.”

 

She laughed. “Oh, _absolutely_.”

 

The world slowly came back into existence around them, even as a comfortable silence settled in. Now there was more than Maxi to think about, but the room they’d flung their clothes all over. The inn, the streets of the village outside where, from the distant sounds of it, the festival was still going strong. And Kilik...

 

Kilik. They probably ought to check the time. There was no telling when the monk would come back, and the last thing Xianghua wanted was for him to stumble onto this particular scene. Though she had been semi-serious when she made the crack about meditating until dawn. He was often to wander off for hours at a time, sometimes all night long, praying and training himself, obsessed with purging the curse that riddled his body, kept at bay beneath the holy restraints of the Dvapara-Yuga.

 

And honestly. she wondered if the dope would even realize what happened if he did walk in. He might take one look at Maxi and Xianghua naked and curled up together and assume he’d just missed a perfectly chaste group nap in the nude. (Surely, he wasn’t that clueless. Surely, they taught the mechanics of men and women and sex at the Ling Sheng Su Temple. But sometimes, that man…)

 

Maxi set to mindlessly twisting Xianghua’s hair around his fingers, and she traced the lines of muscle on his chest.

 

“So,” he said, out of nowhere. “How long have you been in love with Kilik?”

 

Xianghua’s eyes fluttered open, and she found Maxi looking at her with an infuriatingly smug look on his face. She opened her mouth to protest, but didn’t have the slightest clue how she would. It wasn’t like her feelings were particularly subtle. And Maxi even knew how to take hints. Unlike some people.

 

“I don’t know. A while. Was it that obvious?”

 

“Extremely. Sorry.” Maxi flicked at the longer hair at the back of her head. “I think Kilik’s the only one who hasn’t figured it out yet.”

 

Xianghua sighed heavily, and pursed her lips in a pout.

 

“Well then,” she said a moment later, “how long have _you_ been in love with Kilik?”

 

He choked on air. “ _What_?” It wasn’t easy to catch the pirate off-guard, so the startled, panicky look in Maxi’s eyes when he whipped his head up to look at her was absolutely priceless. “I’m not.”

 

“Oh, yes you are.”

 

“No, I’m not. Where do you even…” He huffed out an unusually false chuckle, and shook his head. “Come on. We’re friends. And we’re both men.”

 

And that got an uproarious laugh from her. “Maxi, come _on_. That’s the weakest lie you’ve ever told.”

 

“That’s not a lie.”

 

“Seriously? Anybody who’s known you for longer than a day knows you like men as much as women, Captain And-Then-Some.” Xianghua poked his nipple teasingly. “Except Kilik, probably.”

 

He looked like he wanted to argue with that, but gave up almost immediately. “OK. Guilty as charged. But I don’t…”Maxi stammered. “I don’t do that kind of thing. Romance, or any of that. Like I told you.”

 

“Maybe not yet. But maybe you just didn’t know you wanted it until you met the right person.”  

 

“Oh, fucking gag me…”

 

“You can lie to yourself if you want to, but you can’t lie to me.” Xianghua smirked. “I’m a woman, Maxi. We can see these things. And I’ve seen the way you look at him.”

 

She relished the few seconds of fuming silence that got out of him before he let out a long, irritable sigh.

 

“Alright. So what?” Maxi glanced at her sidelong. “You like him. I _might_ like him. Where does that get us?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“How are we supposed to…” He shrugged a shoulder. “What happens now?”

 

Xianghua frowned. “I… don’t know. I wasn’t really planning on, um… sorting this out with you.”

 

“There’s nothing to sort out, really.” Maxi gazed up at the ceiling. “I wasn’t going to ever make a move. I knew you were into him. And, you know, I like men, but that doesn’t mean he does.”

 

“Well, it’s not like I was getting anywhere with him either,” she pointed out. “I actually started thinking about that. That maybe before you met me, you and he had already… you know.”

 

They looked at each other for a few awkward seconds.

 

“Damn it. This is why I don’t do this kind of shit.” Maxi rubbed his forehead like he was getting a headache. “This is the last thing I want.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

 

“Of course,” said Xianghua. “All three of us.”

 

“Yeah. All _three_ of us. I don’t want this coming between us. I don’t want our friendship falling apart because of stupid bullshit feelings.”

 

“No. Neither do I.” She flattened her palm to his chest. “And he wouldn’t want that either. That much I do know.”

 

The silence was back, but it had taken on a far more awkward feel than before.

 

“We should really be having this conversation with Kilik, you know?” Maxi offered.

 

Xianghua laughed ruefully. “Too bad talking to that idiot about feelings is like talking to a wall.”

 

“You mean earlier tonight?”

 

“Ugh…”

 

“I was trying to mind my own business,” Maxi chuckled. “But can I ask what happened?”

 

“Oh... “ Xianghua tilted her head, catching sight of the orchid charm sitting innocently on the nightstand. “You know how he is. I thought we could talk while the fireworks were happening, but…”

 

“What’d he do?”

 

“He was all lost in thought, like usual. I stood there next to him, and I told him how much I care about him, and I even grabbed his hand. And of course, Kilik...”

 

“He just blinked at you,” said Maxi. “Like he’s in another world.”

 

“Yep. And he didn’t say a word.” She closed her hand over her eyes as though she might start crying again. “Just stared at me in total silence, and looked like he was sick to his stomach. He didn’t even notice I was holding his hand. And then, you know what he said?”

 

“What?”

 

“Yep. He said, ‘what?’ Like he hadn’t even heard me. I was so mad I could have pushed him off that cliff. I just… totally lost it on him.”

 

“Ouch.” Maxi winced. “Leave it to Kilik to set you off with just a few words.”

 

“Yeah. I guess, looking back, that I overreacted a bit, and maybe he had something on his mind, but… it’s always like that with him. You try to reach for him, and he deflects it back, and... It hurts a lot, you know?”

 

He chewed his bottom lip. “Yeah. I do know.”

 

“It hurts when he can’t open up. Even when he’s with us, sometimes, he’s so lonely. He’s so scared of what could happen, he locks himself away and he thinks he’s unworthy of friends, or love…” Xianghua took a deep breath. “But I don’t know how we can show him the truth.”

 

“Yeah. Me neither.”

 

A long moment passed in silence.

 

“Ugh.” Xianghua covered her eyes with her hands. “Why do men have to be so difficult?”

 

“I think Kilik’s just especially troublesome,” said Maxi. “And you and I attract trouble.”

 

She exhaled and curled in closer to him. “Lucky us.”


	2. Mind

The steaming of the hot spring smelled vaguely of sulphur, but the water felt so good that Maxi couldn’t be bothered to care.

 

Half the time, the bathhouses at these tiny village inns were little more than tepid pools in a shack, inconsistently heated if hot at all. But Xianghua came back to the room enthusing about how lovely the water was here. She’d headed down shortly after untangling herself from Maxi, eager to clean up, he imagined, so Kilik wouldn’t figure out what happened.

 

But this room had two beds and whenever that happened, Xianghua always claimed one for herself. She wouldn’t be the one who had to share with Kilik, reeking of sex. So shortly after she returned from her bath and curled up to sleep in the other bed, Maxi threw on his pants and went down to wash up.

 

He lounged in the spring, leaning back to wet his hair and massaging his fingers over his scalp. Getting that coiff of his into perfect, lustrous shape wasn’t an easy task, and he had to pamper it now while he had the luxury. It also kept his mind from wandering too much.

 

It wasn’t that he felt guilty about sleeping with Xianghua. Not a bit. They were friends, and he was always down to play with his friends in whatever form that happened to take. They were both into it, they both had a good time, and… well, shit just got a little awkward in the aftermath. That was the part that was actually bothering him. Not the beyond-obvious revelation that Xianghua had feelings for Kilik, but the fact she’d sussed out Maxi’s, too. Pretty easily, for that matter.

 

He wasn’t the type to be open with his feelings. He liked to be the charm, the life of the party, the one keeping spirits high and never taking anything too seriously. Of course he felt emotions as much as the next person, but when he didn’t smooth them over with a grin and a snappy retort, when something actually got to him enough that someone else could see it...

 

Kyam used to call him out on it all the time. “You get real stupid when you’re worked up, you know that, Brother?” When Maxi was excited or pissed-off, or otherwise let emotions take the helm, he was impossibly boneheaded. He could say he didn’t want things to get complicated, and he could vow to handle this maturely. But he knew he was one stupid moment away from wrecking everything in spectacular fashion. If XIanghua could read his feelings so easily, then he was already too close to too far.

 

This whole thing was a recipe for drama. And try as he might, Maxi hadn’t been able to talk himself out of the situation, no matter how he reasoned that he was setting himself up for a fall.

 

Kyam used to call him out on that, too. “You see one pretty face you like, and all restraint goes right out the window.” Plenty of pretty faces proved that. Women, men, tavern girls, prostitutes, sailors on other vessels… Maxi’d been there, done that with all of them, but he’d never stumbled and smacked face-first into feeling for any of them. Until Kilik.

 

Maxi sighed heavily and dunked his head under the water. Stupid Kyam, the smug prick. Why did he have to be right all the damn time?

 

The bathhouse door creaked on its hinges, and he lifted his head above the water. His hair hung dripping over his eyes, but he didn’t need to see the face to recognize the voice.

 

“Ah, Maxi…” Kilik stood awkwardly near the doorway, dressed down from his traveling garments in only his robe and trousers. As always, the Dvapara-Yuga was slung across his shoulder, its green facets reflecting eerily in the lamplight. “I figured you’d be down here.”

 

“Really?” Maxi smoothed his hair from his eyes with a grin. “Even this late?”

 

“Well, if you aren’t in the room, then taking care of your hair somewhere is a safe bet.” Kilik shrugged off his robe and hung it up, then started to remove his trousers. There was a frown etched on his face, a weary sort of look tangled up in his brow. Not an uncommon expression on the often-anxious monk, but he looked especially grave tonight.

 

“Guilty as charged.” Maxi leaned back against the side of the spring. “Where’ve you been?”

 

“Meditating. I was trying to relax.”

 

“Doesn’t look like it worked.”

 

“No. I can’t seem to…” Kilik’s frown deepened slightly as he slid out of his trousers and underclothes, hanging them up along with his robe. “I thought maybe a bath might calm me down.”

 

“Well, the water’s fine. Come on in.”

 

Unlike Xianghua, there was no novelty to the sight of Kilik nude. He and Maxi undressed and bathed together often. It just felt a little different now in light of everything else. Maxi found himself consciously trying not to stare, a prospect made difficult by the sculpted appeal of Kilik’s body. It was almost a relief when he sank into the water up to his chest, removing at least half of what Maxi didn’t want to be caught gawking at. That still left the monk’s hard chest, broad shoulders, and the Dvapara-Yuga hanging across it all like decoration.

 

Fortunately, or un, Kilik’s apparent malaise made it easy to focus on his face rather than his physique. That frown grew as he stared at the water’s surface, mindlessly scooping up handfuls to splash over his shoulders.

 

“Maxi,” he said after a moment. “Did you speak to Xianghua before she went to sleep?”

 

He was in the process of massaging oil into his hair, rubbing his scalp with his fingers. “Yeah, I did. Why?”

 

“I’m afraid I may have upset her.” Kilik paused with a hand on his shoulder, staring off into space. “Well. I know I upset her. Did she say anything to you?”

 

“Not specifically. I got her a few drinks. She didn’t tell me exactly what went down.”

 

“I see.”

 

“You definitely pissed her off, though.”

 

Kilik sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to hurt her feelings.”

 

“You don’t need to apologize to me.” Maxi shrugged. “If you guys are arguing, that’s between you two. I’m not taking sides. Unless you need a referee to judge the fight, I guess.”

 

“It’s not that we argued, or fought, it’s…” Kilik drifted off. “No. You’re right. I shouldn’t get you involved. It’s not your problem.”

 

“Hang on. I didn’t mean…” Kilik was always taking things way too literally like that. “I don’t want to pick sides, but I can listen. You look like there’s something you need to get off your chest.”

 

For a brief moment, Kilik’s eyes were far away. Then he scoffed, and set a hand on the mirrored belt on his shoulder. “You don’t know how much I do.”

 

“Go for it.”

 

“I don’t want to burden you.”

 

“Kilik, we’re friends, man. It’s not a burden to help your friends. Especially when they’re walking around looking like they’re about to snap somebody in half.”

 

Kilik’s brown eyes whipped up, looking startled. “I look like--”

 

Of all the shitty, thoughtless things he could have said... “Sorry, sorry. That was a bad joke.” Maxi waved it away, like a foul smell. “Forget it. The point is, I wanna listen, if it’ll help you to talk about it.”

 

It took a moment for him to decide. But at last, Kilik let out a long sigh and looked Maxi in the eye. “I did a lot of thinking tonight, after Xianghua left. I argued with myself a lot, but… I think this is for the best. I think I’m going to go on alone.”  

 

“What?” Maxi felt an ache tighten in his chest. “What the hell for?”

 

“Because it’s not safe. I’m not safe.”

 

Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Just as Xianghua predicted, this was all going back to Kilik’s little problem. His _big_ little problem, granted, but the same problem that had been tormenting him constantly for all the months they’d been traveling together. For all the years since the Evil Seed destroyed so many lives-- and all but destroyed Kilik as the man had ever known himself. Its curse had overtaken the gentle monk’s body, corrupted his very soul, and even now could enslave him to its will of violence, if that mirror on his shoulder ever fell away.

 

But he’d thought they’d finally moved past this particular facet of that problem. Kilik may have been a little aloof sometimes, but he seemed to deeply appreciate not being alone. What happened to change his mind?”

 

“Kilik, we all know what _could_ happen. I’ve even seen it. But you’re not dangerous to us.”

 

“Yet.” He closed his eyes. “But it’s only a matter of time.”  

 

“No, it isn’t.” Maxi folded his arms. “You’ve been working really hard, haven’t you? As long as I’ve known you, you’ve been training to resist it. Damn harder than I’ve ever trained for anything.”

 

“Yes, but…”

 

“You said you were feeling better. More in-control than before.”

 

“For a while, yes. But lately, that’s changed.”

 

“It has?”

 

“Lately, it’s like all of that work is starting to fray. It’s harder to concentrate. My whole body is tense, and no matter what I do, no matter how long I meditate or how I clear my mind, I can’t seem to release it. The tenser I get, the easier it is to lose focus entirely. And if that’s the case, then it’s only a matter of time until I slip. Until I hurt you and Xianghua.”

 

“You’re not gonna slip,” Maxi assured him. “And even if you do, you’re not gonna hurt us. Xianghua and I can take care of ourselves.”

 

“But you shouldn’t need to. I should be stronger than this… but I’m not.” Kilik moved closer to look Maxi in the eyes. “I can’t go on pretending like I’m not dangerous. Like I can’t hurt you. Knowing that I could. Knowing that I _will_.”  

 

His gaze was intense, entreating, traces of sorrow and guilt in his eyes at the very idea he could ever bring harm to them.

 

“So please, Maxi. Please understand. You’re my friends, and I like being with you. But I can’t keep putting you two in danger. I can’t risk hurting you for the sake of my own comfort. It’s better if I just leave quietly.”

 

Maxi stared at him in disbelief. Slowly, his gaze morphed into a scowl. “So is that what you’ve been doing all night? Sulking alone somewhere, rehearsing that speech?”

 

Kilik glanced away. “More or less.”

 

“Well, blow it out your ass.”

 

“What?”

 

“Listen, you stubborn idiot.” Maxi poked him in the center of his chest. “You take that lonely martyr talk and shove it. If you think I’m going to agree with you and let you leave, you’re even denser than I thought.”

 

“But Maxi--”

 

“You’re not a monster. You’re not some demon in human skin, Kilik. You’re my friend. And Xianghua’s too. You just try heading off alone, and see how quick we’ll catch up to beat some sense into you. Which--” he added, “is going to be tough to do to yourself. You think the idea of hurting us is bad? How about being alone if you slip? Being on your own with nobody who could possibly stop you?”

 

Kilik’s frown had softened somewhat, but his eyes were still conflicted. “My curse isn’t your responsibility. And neither am I.”

 

“Think again.” Maxi shook his head fiercely. “You remember when we met? You know why I didn’t put you down like the rest of those monsters that killed my crew?”

 

Kilik looked away. “Kyam told you not to.”

 

“No. What Kyam told me was that you were one of us,” said Maxi. “You’re one of us, end of story. My crew is my family and you’re in there now, friend. You and Xianghua both. And no matter what, I don’t turn my back on one of mine.”

 

For a moment, Kilik looked stricken by the sentiment, too shy to even look him in the eye. Slowly, his gaze drifted up to meet Maxi’s. He exhaled a shaky breath and at last, he nodded. “Thank you, Maxi. I… really needed to hear that.”

 

It was then that Maxi realized that his hand had found its way to the side of Kilik’s face, cupping his jaw. When the hell did that slip? He drew it back, slow enough that it didn’t seem like panic, and recovered by flicking him with a splash of water. Perfect. Smooth.

 

Thankfully, Kilik didn’t seem to notice anything amiss in the gesture. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m getting carried away with worrying again.” He lay back in the water, letting himself float. “You’re always telling me not to think so hard.”

 

“Hey, some thinking’s OK. One of us has to do the thinking.” Maxi put a little distance between them, lest his wandering hands give him any more grief. “But not this wallowing in your own head business. Everything seems too big to handle when you’re working yourself up alone.”

 

“You’re right.” Droplets trickled down the musculature of Kilik’s chest and stomach, sparkling in the dim light. Maxi had the sudden mental image of licking them away. “It’s just so heavy sometimes. The enormity of everything, and knowing what will happen if I fail…”

 

An uneasy silence stretched between them. Maxi hesitated before he went on. “You don’t have to carry this burden alone, you know? We’re here to help, even if you just need to vent at somebody. Or hit somebody, whatever. I’m game for both.”

 

Kilik scoffed, and opened his eyes to look at Maxi sidelong. “Work out my frustration on you, huh?”

 

“Hah…” If fucking only. “Sure. You’re probably itching to punch me in the mouth more than you ever let on.”

 

That actually got a snort out of him. “No. Not really. You always make me laugh.” He cracked a somewhat awkward smile. “If anybody wants to punch anybody, it’s Xianghua. From the look on her face, I barely escaped with my teeth.”

 

Maxi almost mentioned that Xianghua was more the cliff-pushing type, but decided against it. “Don’t worry about her either, man. It’s not like it’s the first time you’ve set her off. And I think she’s already over it, honestly.”

 

“Really?” Kilik sat up and raked his fingers through his soaked brown hair. “She said so?”

 

“More or less. In the future, though, you should at least pretend you’re listening to her.”

 

That frown started on Kilik’s face again, and he looked away guiltily. “I was. Every word.”

 

Well, that added a new, unpleasant wrinkle to the situation. Kilik didn’t seem like the type to play games when somebody poured their heart out to him. It wasn’t like him to ignore or pretend he hadn’t heard her. “You mind telling me what happened, then?” asked Maxi.

 

The monk seemed lost in thought again. It seemed like minutes passed before he spoke. “She told me she had… feelings for me.”

 

Apparently, that really _had_ been news to him. “So… is that a problem?”

 

Kilik looked at him sternly. “Yes.”

 

And all of a sudden, Maxi was wishing he hadn’t started this conversation at all. There was conviction in that answer, a painful amount of it. He had the distinct, sinking feeling that Xianghua was about to get her heart broken.

 

“It’s… part of why I thought I should leave. I don’t know how I’m supposed to deal with this without hurting her.”

 

“Deal with it how? You’re saying you don’t…”

 

“No.” Kilik shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I don’t care about her…”

 

Oh. Well. Now the sinking feeling was of a different sort. The awful, treacherous sting of jealousy. (And this? This shit was why he didn’t care to get emotionally involved in his crushes. This was exactly the reason why…)

 

“But she asked me for something that I can’t give _anyone_. Not as long as this thing is inside me, trying to get out.” Kilik took a breath. “Feelings like that… they’re a foothold for imbalance. They’re unpredictable. If I let such things influence me…”

 

He shook his head. “My whole life is a balancing act. For everyone’s sake, it has to be. And I don’t trust myself to divide my attention. All of my energy and concentration has to go into maintaining balance. I can’t let my mind be swayed by desire. Emotional or otherwise.”

 

Maxi studied him for a long moment, putting the pieces together a few at a time.

 

“Kilik,” he said, very carefully. “By ‘otherwise,’ are you talking about like… physical...?”

 

The monk looked slightly uncomfortable at the question, but tried to keep a serious expression as he nodded.

 

“So you’re telling me that ever since the Evil Seed, you can’t have sex.”

 

Kilik flustered, briefly. “I’ve never had sex. But no, certainly not since I was cursed.”

 

“OK, but that doesn’t also mean…” The puzzle twisted and flipped a few times as he tried to wrap his head around it. “You’re telling me you haven’t even…” Maxi circled his fingers and made a rude gesture.

 

Kilik’s eyes rolled ever-so-slightly. “Yes. That’s what I’m telling you.”

 

“Holy shit, man.”

 

“Physical desires are a distraction, Maxi. I know that’s probably hard for you to imagine…”

 

“Yeah, but come on, Kilik. No wonder you’re feeling tense. You’ve spent years throwing your whole life into controlling this thing, you’re stressing out, and you can’t even jerk off at the end of the day to sleep better.” He shuddered at the very thought of holding out for that long. “Did your master tell you not to? ‘Don’t forget Kilik, keep your hands off your dick, or there will be grave consequences…’”

 

“No, he didn’t,” said Kilik crossly. “But everything I’ve got to live by now is for the sake of balance. How can I do that if I’m pushing myself out of control? I have to be better than that. I have to focus on more than base desires.”

 

“But ‘base desires…’ That’s asking a lot of yourself, isn’t it? It’s not like you stop yourself from eating or sleeping.”

 

“I hardly think sex is comparable to eating and sleeping.” Kilik sighed again, his uncomfortable shuffling causing ripples in the springwater. “You make it sound like it’s a normal thing.”

 

“It _is_ a normal thing. Most people need an outlet, even if it’s their own hand. Most people need to be touched--”

 

“Well, I don’t.”

 

“You don’t?” Maxi raised an eyebrow. “Or are you just pretending you don’t?”

 

“It doesn’t matter.”

 

“I think it really, really does…”

 

“Honestly, I think you’re the exact wrong person to have this discussion with.” Kilik managed to keep any cross tones out of his voice, but his expression was carefully chilly.

 

And that actually hurt more than if he’d gone ahead and snapped. Hurt like a boot to the gut. Maxi must not have done a good job of hiding it on his face, either, as Kilik was quick to bite his lip.

 

“I’m... sorry, Maxi. That was unkind.”

 

“Yeah.” Sure enough, there went the hurt feelings, hopping behind the helm and trying to wrestle the wheel out from his grip. “It’s alright. I’m just a dumb hedon, after all. No need to take anything I say into account.”

 

“No. No, I… I didn’t mean it like that.” Kilik moved closer, and Maxi went very still as his hands found his shoulders. “You’re trying to help, and that was a cruel thing to say. Forgive me.”

 

He stared Kilik in the eyes, silent and still. But he realized quickly that it wasn’t anger or hurt that had seized him here. It was the sudden realization of how close they were. Close enough to feel Kilik’s body heat, distinct from the warmth of the spring. The weight and grip of his callused hands on his shoulders. Strong hands, hands that he’d forged in many years of training, just like the rest of him. Those eyes, robbing him of anything sarcastic or wounded he could have snapped back. Deep brown eyes, sage and kind, tinged with weariness and pain.

 

His eyes might be the most striking thing about him. Maxi wanted them on him. He wanted to watch them widen when he pushed Kilik back against the spring wall, when he felt all the strength in that body pinned under his own. He wanted to ease them closed with touch and caress, with playful whispers, with warm breath against his skin. And once he had him bewitched, he’d kiss him, taste those stern lips, seduce out one of those rare, handsome smiles--

 

“Maxi?”

 

He blinked back into the moment at hand. Kilik was still holding him by the shoulders, looking worried. “You want to punch me in the mouth too? It’s alright if you do.”

 

Maxi exhaled shakily. “And wreck that handsome face? That’d be a shame.” He cracked a crooked grin.

 

Kilik looked immediately relieved and smiled back. His hands squeezed Maxi’s shoulders once more. “I am sorry, Maxi. I shouldn’t be so dismissive. Maybe you’ve got a point.”

 

Maxi reached aside and splashed him in the face with an open palm. “And maybe if you tried beating off once in a while, you wouldn’t be a such a moody dick.”

 

Kilik responded by dunking him.

 

Like a couple of foolish teenage boys, they wrestled, flipping and shoving and laughing when they could struggle to the surface for air. Tangled up in limbs, they sent an irresponsible amount of water splashing out the side of the spring. Maxi kicked, and Kilik put weight down on him. They rolled, and something snagged the mirror--

 

Abruptly, Kilik sat up, gasping and clutching at the belt around his chest. In place, fastened tightly-- and Maxi was right there, holding it securely. The entirety of his hair hung soaked in his face, and he pressed firmly on the buckles of the belt. “Hey-- OK?”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m OK. Thought I felt it…”

 

“I figured. Is it on right?”

 

“Yes. Thank you. It’s fine.”

 

They stood there a moment, as though Kilik was making sure, then at last he let out a sigh of relief. He reached up to swipe the dripping black locks out of Maxi’s eyes, and leaned sideways to look him in the face with a boyish smirk. “Aw, Maxi… your hair…”

 

If he leaned just a little closer, he could kiss him. He could slung his other arm over Kilik’s shoulder and pull him in, take him down. Put his hands and his mouth all over him. Show him just how good it felt to let go of physical desire. He could have him, if he could only will himself to get closer, his arm to move, if he could cross that line. If Kilik didn’t balk at his touch, or push him away. If he could ignore how devastated Xianghua would be to find out.

 

Maxi let him go with a slow, almost hesitant motion. Then he chuffed out a vague little laugh and put on a sly grin and set his hands to adjusting his hair. “It needed a rinse anyway.”

 

How was was _that_ for fucking restraint, Kyam?

 

Kilik made doubly sure the Dvapara-Yuga was secure, then sat against the wall of the spring to settle down again. A little of the weariness in his expression was gone, replaced with the lingering remnants of laughter, clouded by oncoming thought.

 

“So do you really think that, ah... abstaining is hurting my efforts?”

 

“I don’t know, man.” Maxi turned around as he continued to expertly fiddle with his hair. It was the best way to hide his suddenly raging erection. “Do you think it’s helping?”  

 

“I… thought it was. But you’re right, that sometimes it’s very… frustrating.” Kilik stared off into the distance. “Master said I had to approach this with a clear mind. With a stoic soul. With total and complete balance in my heart. It seems to me that shouldn’t be compatible with… you know. Things like that.”

 

Maxi thought about it for a moment. He focused his eyes in the same apparent distant place that Kilik always did, letting it bounce around in his head.

 

“Well. I don’t know anything about mystical horseshit,” he said at last, turning to face him. “But you know what I think?”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“I think even if you’re trying to ignore it, it’s good for you to feel frustrated. To have those kind of needs. They’re human.” He reached alongside the spring for his towel, which had been thoroughly dampened in their little scuffle. “No matter what that thing did to you, or how hard you have to work to beat it, it hasn’t changed that.”

 

He slid back out of the spring and stood up, wrapping the towel around his waist. He tossed his hair behind his shoulder, and ruffled Kilik’s hair as he walked by. “You’re still human, Kilik. And it seems to me like that’s a good thing to lean into.”

 

Kilik didn’t even swat to defend his ruffled hair. “I suppose that is one way to think about it.”

 

“Wish I could offer a better perspective. But that’s the one I’ve got.” Maxi recovered his clothes from the hook.

 

“Your perspective means a lot to me.” Kilik smiled at him a little wistfully. “And I do think I needed to hear it tonight. Thank you, Maxi.”

 

“Anytime, friend.” Maxi grinned. “Coming?”

 

“I think I’ll stay a bit longer.”

 

“As long as you don’t try to sneak off.”

 

“No, no. I’m not going to do that. You convinced me.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.”

 

“Good. Then enjoy. I’ll go get that bed nice and warm before you come up.” Of course, that would probably come about as Maxi furiously jerked off for a bit, but Kilik didn’t need to know that. “Good night.”

 

“Alright. Good night.”

 

With a nod, Maxi ducked out of the bathhouse and headed across the yard to the inn. Boy, was this whole thing starting to get stupidly complicated. And boy, did he need to talk to Xianghua in the morning.

 

* * *

 

Balance was the key to all things. Not push, not pull, but to find the center in between. Mind, body, and soul, to lose balance was to lose control.

 

Edgemaster had been extremely specific on that lesson above all others. Kilik had heard so many screeds on balance over the years, he could recite them from memory in the precise inflection of his master’s voice. In all those speeches, in all those lessons, the topic of physical desire had never come up. Frankly, the mere thought of bringing it up was amusing, if only to picture what Edgemaster would have done. Kilik predicted a wooden staff to the back of the head.

 

He lounged against the side of the spring and gazed at the ceiling, letting that ridiculous mental image mingle with all the other stubborn thoughts that had been plaguing him tonight. Worries about Soul Edge and Kali-Yuga and Dvapara-Yuga and his own sanity flitted among them, as always, but he made a concentrated effort to follow Maxi’s advice and stop obsessing over them. “Wallowing” in them, as he’d said. Pulling so much fear and dread into his mind had only served to upset him. See? A perfect example. Push and pull.

 

Maxi was right in that he wasn’t much for mystical… matters, to put it more kindly. But that didn’t make him foolish or ignorant. He was easily the most worldly person Kilik had ever known, and clever in ways that a sheltered monk could only marvel at. Maybe there really was something to his suggestion.

 

When was the last time he’d allowed himself to even think of physical pleasure? It had to be sometime back at Ling-Sheng Su, sometime before the massacre. But even then, the temple was a place of practice and study, and there was little time for dalliances. Any student who tried to offer abstinence and frustration therein as an excuse would have been scolded heavily, told to take care of their personal business on their personal time. A prodigal student like Kilik not only didn’t offer any excuses, but was so focused on his training he didn’t think about such things at all.

 

And after the massacre? With all the tumultuous things swirling inside him, the infection of evil making every heartbeat and every breath and every thought of his something to be carefully monitored, carefully controlled… he simply had nothing to spare for frivolous things. Frivolous, undisciplined things. Entertainment, indulgence, diversions, and pleasure. Worldly things.

 

But such things weren’t reserved only for Maxi. When she wasn’t wearing the serious demeanor of an Imperial officer, Xianghua, too, liked cute clothes and pretty hairstyles and tasty sweets. She often dragged her two companions into things with the promise of fun or excitement. Wasn’t that why they’d stopped here in the first place? And even with the seriousness of their mission and the grave danger that they faced, she found time to divert herself with unnecessary feelings.

 

_I want you to know that you’re more than just a friend to me. I know it’s not ideal, and I know we’ve got a lot on our minds right now, but I need you to know… I think I’ve fallen in love with you._

 

His chest had tightened as the words ran laps in his head. He’d stood there in utter silence, staring at her, trying to fit it together with memories and flashes of the time they’d spent together so far, recontextualizing, trying to figure out if he’d missed something. If he was really hearing that, or if his mind had become as poisoned as his body and started crafting things up for him out of wholecloth.

 

And just for a fleeting moment, on the other side of the mental barrier he spent all his time carefully reinforcing, he saw a shadow, the mere silhouette of a moment. Xianghua combing out her hair fireside at their camp, orange light flickering across her creamy skin, deft and graceful fingers working through nut-brown locks. His own thoughts, his own voice. _She’s beautiful._ It was all he allowed before he pushed it all back and sealed it behind the wall, gone before he ever had the chance to dwell on it. Certainly before he had the chance to say anything to her besides a stupid, dumbfounded “what?”

 

Kilik let his hand drift down his chest, sinking beneath the surface of the water. His fingers followed their way down his skin and came to rest at his navel.

 

It was alright to think these things. Alright to let them come out.

 

Because those weren’t the only desirous thoughts he had about her, nor were they even close to the first. He once noticed how much strength she had in that petite body of hers, strength enough to catch Kilik off-guard and throw him to the ground in a sparring match. She’d jumped on him to pin him, and he’d briefly noted that he enjoyed her weight atop him. Wondered how she’d react if he really did use all his strength on her, scooping her in his arms and seeing just how closely he could hold her.

 

His palm slid to his lower belly. His fingertips just brushed the base of his cock, bobbing lazily in the water.

 

Another time, he’d caught a glimpse of her bare shoulder on the other side of a patch of reeds. They were all bathing in a river, and she’d threatened to drown the guys if they spied on her. But he couldn’t help stealing a glimpse, couldn’t help the thrill of disobedience, couldn’t help his sudden desire to see more of her than modest skin.

 

It was alright to admit it. Try as he might, he still had desires, still had sexual thoughts. He was just so used to pushing them away, sealing them behind that mental barrier with such precision that he’d been able to ignore them for so long.

 

But such things were… normal. Such things were as natural and human as eating or sleeping. _You’re still human, Kilik. And it seems to me like that’s a good thing to lean into._

 

So he leaned into it. He wrapped his fingers around his shaft and slowly, very slowly, began to stroke.

 

How did he want to think of her, if he let himself think of her? In the firelight. Yes, on that warm summer night, in a quiet grove, the moonlight pouring down around them. She’d been sitting on a rock, squirming as she tended to her hair, knees together, her calves and ankles wiggling as she idly toed the grass. Xianghua. Pretty, playful Xianghua, lovely as the flowers on her blouse.

 

Her blouse hung loose around her shoulders. He’d been eying just how the fabric lay against her skin. Wouldn’t it be coy if she let it fall a little further? If she looked him in the eye as she let it slip, allowing just a peek at her bare breast?

 

Yes, it was somewhat chaste, for a fantasy. But it started a pleasant little tingle at the base of his spine, one that made his back arch against the spring wall.

 

Then what?

 

Hands on her thighs. The answer was surprisingly instant. He wanted a good feel of her legs, bared, wrapped around his waist. Yes… she’d be lying on her back on the ground, clothes off. Her whole body would be on display for him, and she wouldn’t be shy about it, either, soaking up all his attention, eager to show off for him and please him. But to start, he wanted only to smooth his hands up and down her thighs, feeling the cords of lithe muscle beneath her soft skin. _Xianghua_. Such discipline. Such grace. Such dedication, sculpted into every inch of her beautiful body.  

 

Kilik’s thumb grazed the ridge at the head of his cock, and his leg twitched reflexively beneath the water. For a moment, he was back in the spring, acutely aware that he was alone, sprawled out against the edge, midway to pushing himself out to lie against the side. His fist jerked languidly at his shaft, by now good and hard. When was the last time he let his erection be anything but a nuisance? The last time he paid any attention to it, before turning his mind to other things? So long ago he’d forgotten it entirely.

 

Not this time. Don’t stop. Don’t hold back. With a few meditative breaths, he pulled himself back under his own spell, and resumed stroking.

 

What if they were to sleep together? No, no, too chaste. Too proper, for this purpose. What if he was to _fuck_ her? There, on the ground, right in the middle of camp. No… against something. That rock. If he let her cling to it, holding herself upright as he took her from behind. Imagine the sight of her shoulders shivering, her back arching, her pert ass under his hands as his cock slid in and out of her. She had to be so warm. She had to feel so tight. She’d call his name. Beg it, over and over again, like a prayer. _Oh Kilik. Kilik, please…_

 

He grunted, and his hips lurched forward, shoving his erection into his grip. A scraping pain lit up across his shoulders. The edge of the spring was digging into his back. Kilik stood up and turned over, kneeling on one of the smooth stones built into the spring for seating, bracing himself with one hand on the edge. Pressure tightened in his balls, something coiling, tensing, building. Water dripped from his hair, trickled down his body, and splattered from his fingers as he sped up the scooping pumps of his hand.

 

Water. Yes. Here, at the hot spring. She could come to him here, while he was alone…  

 

To his surprise, it wasn’t Xianghua’s small hand that took the place of his own in his mind. It was stronger, a callused palm, a firm, practiced grip. A much larger body standing behind him.

 

Maxi. As bold and shameless as if he’d been invited, back in the spring with him as earlier. But this time, he wouldn’t keep his hands to himself. One would work Kilik’s cock just like this, stroking him perfectly. The other would twine fingers in his long brown hair, grip him firm, turn his face and kiss him. A heated crash of lips, teeth clacking, tongues working, until neither of them could breathe, until he felt Maxi gasping and shuddering at his back. That hard chest, that fiery heart, that wild gleam in his eyes, _Maxi_.

 

Kilik’s face burned hot. Was this going too far? If there was ever a sign he’d let his lust get away from him, erotic thoughts of his male best friend were certainly it. The mere idea that Maxi would ever desire him in this way was absurd. But in his current state, with his dick in his hand and his imagination running wild, he found he couldn’t protest the notion.

 

 _Lean into it._ It was Maxi’s own advice, wasn’t it? He wouldn’t care how Kilik got there or how he factored into it. Hell, he’d probably be flattered in his own strange way. So _lean into it_.

 

In his vision, he was manhandling Maxi again, the same as their playful fighting earlier. This time, Kilik got the upper hand. He shoved Maxi flat against the side of the spring and he pressed flush against him, chest to chest. Their bare skin slid together, soaking wet, and Kilik rolled his hips forward in a lewd grind. His cock ended up in Maxi’s hand again -- no, not just his hand -- against his own hard shaft, and with every thrust they frotted together. Kilik moaned and rocked his body with wild abandon, humping desperately against his friend. And Maxi would coax him through it, sweet-talking him with that silver tongue, always encouraging, always smiling, even when he _begged_ . _Come on, Kilik. Just like that._

 

It all wove together into a wild tapestry, images and sensations and thoughts let loose. He was in the woods, in the spring, in company, alone, Xianghua, Maxi, fucking his own hand all at the same time. It swirled through his head, loomed over him like a stormcloud, gathered up in a grand burst that he was so, so ready to release. He was close. So close, so damn close to something that he’d last had so long ago he could barely remember it. Did it always feel this good? Did it always stir like that, deep in his groin, pulsing heat that seemed to reach higher and higher with every stroke? What would it be like when he let it overflow, let it spill, let it take him over--

 

The very phrase shot ice through his veins. The same cold, clenching pulse that always stirred when he felt himself slipping, when he felt the edges of his careful concentration starting to fray.

 

“No,” he said aloud. “No--”

 

His body begged him to continue and his hand kept stroking, even as his mind clouded. The visions flickered. The cold crept through his veins, from his fingers to his feet to his heart, pounding, clenching, his thoughts frantic as he tried to remember what it felt like when the Evil Seed began to rise. When it began to slink out from under the mirror on his shoulder, when that voice in his head began to roar once more, until it drowned out everything else. He was slipping--

 

He let go. He released his cock and stumbled as his knees gave out beneath him. With a violent splash, he caught himself on the edge of the spring before he slammed face-first against the floor.

 

He could only breathe, gasping, chest heaving as his body tried to catch up with his mind. Panic whirred in all his senses, and for one terrible moment, he was certain that he was changing. That he’d slipped. He waited a minute, then two, to evaluate what he was feeling, what could have possibly just happened to him.

 

There he stood, alone, sweating, aching, his pulse pounding in his ears, and his erection gone completely limp between his legs. He reached for the Dvapara-Yuga, and found it hanging on his shoulder, as usual.

 

No dark energy had overtaken him. No force had possessed him. Nothing had, nothing but his own physical reactions, his own terror, robbing him of even the most basic attempt to pleasure himself.

 

Frustration rose like bile in his throat. Tears stung his eyes, and he slapped his hand across the surface of the water.

 

He was still human. But still too weak. And one or the other had to give first.


	3. Body

Used to the strict schedule of the Imperial Guard, Xianghua was usually awake before her two companions. She’d rise early and enjoy the privacy to dress herself and brush her hair, and Kilik was usually the next to stir. But today the monk was out cold, all the blankets twisted around him as though he’d been tossing and turning all night. He even slept through Maxi waking up grumbling about being chilly.

 

In fact, Kilik didn’t rise until well after Xianghua and Maxi had gone downstairs to find something to eat. The innkeeper’s wife had just served their breakfast at a small table in the tavern area, and she nearly bumped into him standing behind her. He muttered a quiet “excuse me” and sat down, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Morning, Kilik.” Xianghua didn’t want any lingering awkwardness from last night. She was quick to pour him a cup of tea and hand it over.

 

“Good morning.” For as hard as he’d been out upstairs, Kilik looked like he hadn’t slept at all. His eyes were red with dark circles beneath, and it looked like he’d fall asleep at the table any moment. He took the teacup with a grateful nod and wearily took a sip.

 

“How late were you up?” asked Maxi. “I didn’t notice when you came to bed.”

 

“I didn’t sleep well,” said Kilik, quite unnecessarily.

 

Maxi made a face at that, resting his chin on his fist. “Everything OK?”

 

“Fine.” Kilik set the teacup down and went to serve himself a piece of flatbread.

 

“Are you sure?” Xianghua pursed her lips. “You weren’t having nightmares again, were you?”

 

He shook his head. “Just restless, I guess.” Then he stuffed his mouth full of bread, perhaps to punctuate that he didn’t want to answer further questions about it.

 

It was hard to have a pleasant meal when one of their trio was so obviously out of sorts, and when the other two desperately wanted to get more details out of him. All the same, Xianghua and Maxi tried to keep things light, even as they couldn’t manage to perk Kilik up at all.

 

When they were finished eating, Kilik adjusted the Dvapara-Yuga on his shoulder. “I’m going off to train today. I’ll be back later.”

 

“Hang on, Kilik,” said Maxi. “Can I borrow you for a second first?”

 

“I really need to focus…”

 

“I insist.” Maxi slung an arm over his shoulder and steered him off towards the side door of the inn. “Excuse us, Xianghua. Guy Talk.”

 

They disappeared through the door. Xianghua quickly left money for the meal on the table and snuck over to listen. Of course, the side door _had_ to be located close to the kitchen, so her eavesdropping was muffled by the sounds of clinking pots and pans.

 

“-- worth a try?”

 

“You think I didn’t? -- control.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“You heard me -- trying to help, but -- too dangerous.”

 

“Slow down, Kilik. Tell me what--”

 

“-- talk about this anymore.”

 

“--burdens?”

 

There was a long pause.

 

“I know -- no one can -- need to go train.”

 

Their footsteps approached, and Xianghua scrambled over to look innocent near their breakfast table. Kilik and Maxi came back in, and Kilik looked more exhausted than ever. “I’ll see you guys later,” he said, and trudged back towards the stairs, no doubt to fetch his bo from the room.

 

Maxi, meanwhile, wore the sharp scowl that he only wore when he was thinking very hard about something.

 

“What was that all about?” asked Xianghua.

 

He tossed her a suspicious glance. “I’m _sure_ you were eavesdropping.”

 

“Well, yes, but the kitchen was so loud I couldn’t hear a thing.”

 

Maxi shrugged. “I don’t know, Xianghua. It’s Guy Talk. You might not want--”

 

“Oh, cram it! There’s no way you’re keeping me out of this!”

 

“Alright, alright.” He motioned for her to follow him. “Let’s go for a walk, then. It’s not really a subject for polite company.”

 

* * *

 

The festival was still in full swing in the village streets with all the hustle and bustle of the day before, if not even more. The market was crowded with shoppers and tourists and merchants hawking their wares, and it was impossible to have a conversation with anyone less than arm’s length away.

 

So they sat up on the side of a cliff overlooking the sea, the very same cliff where Xianghua had watched the fireworks last night, and where she’d nearly shoved Kilik to his doom in a fit of pique. There, Maxi relayed the discussion he’d had with Kilik the night before, including the monk’s fears surrounding a certain physical need.

 

“Oh, poor Kilik…” Xianghua dragged her fingers through the grass, tracing nonsense patterns on the ground. “I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be.”

 

“No wonder he trains so much.” Maxi shook his head. “If I was him, I’d have up and died from the stress years ago.”

 

“It’s so unfair. That stupid curse already took so much from him.” She closed her eyes. “He has to work so hard and wear that mirror just to keep his sanity. And this is one more insult on top of everything else.”

 

“But at the same time…” He sighed heavily. “He’s really a worrywart, you know?”

 

“How so?”

 

“I don’t want to make light of it, or say he doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but…” He swept a hand through his hair, a nervous habit. “This is the same guy who sat around yesterday lost in his own head and convinced himself it’d be best if he ran off alone.”

 

“Which, that dope is lucky he didn’t try.” She and Maxi would have tracked him down and beat him so hard he’d make the rest of the journey west on a stretcher.

 

“Right? Kilik’s a great fighter, and a greater guy, but he’s the world’s greatest overthinker.” Maxi folded his arms. “He says he almost slipped when he got himself aroused, but you know, that could either be the curse getting loose… or Kilik freaking himself out.”

 

Xianghua plucked out a few blades of grass. “He’s so confident about his training and his meditation and everything else… but with this, it’s like he doesn’t trust himself.”

 

“Well, he’s got experience with everything else,” he reasoned. “He made it pretty clear last night that Ling-Sheng Su wasn’t the hottest spot in town to get laid. Hard to feel confident about something you’ve never done, even without evil trying to bust out of your skin.”

 

She gently twisted the grass into a braid. “I wonder if we can help him.”

 

“Help him how?” asked Maxi. “Hire him a prostitute?”

 

“Oh, that’d go over well,” Xianghua muttered. “No, I don’t mean bringing in someone else. We’re his friends. I’m wondering if maybe we shouldn’t offer to…” She tilted her head to one side. “You know…”

 

Oddly enough, the suggestion seemed to surprise him. “Sleep with him?”

 

“I slept with one of my friends pretty recently, and I seem to recall feeling a lot better afterwards. I’d say we both even had fun.” She tossed him a sly little grin. “Maybe that’s just the sort of thing Kilik needs.”

 

After a knowing smirk of his own, Maxi thumbed his chin. “That’s not a bad idea, actually. I mean, getting Mr. Chaste and Chivalrous to sleep with you might be a bit of a challenge. But if not you, then who?”

 

“Well, it’s up to him. We wouldn’t coerce him into anything, of course.” Xianghua scooted around to face Maxi. “But think about it. He’s afraid of losing control when he’s alone. He knows we can handle him, if he slips. He trusts us, when he can’t trust himself. Maybe if we’re there to encourage him, to make sure he’s safe, he’ll feel more comfortable.”

 

“Hang on. What’s this ‘we’ business?”

 

“You’re his friend too, aren’t you?”

 

“Well, yeah, but what, am I supposed to stand on guard while you bang him?” He folded his arms. “I mean… sounds hot, but something tells me our shy virginal monk friend won’t go for that.”

 

“Who said I’ll be the one having sex with him?” asked Xianghua. “He might pick you.”  

 

Maxi scoffed. “He’s not interested in _me_. Last night he said it was you.”

 

“Because you were _talking_ about me. But you didn’t ask about you, did you?”

 

“Hell no. Why would I?”

 

“It’s like we talked about last night.” She stood up from her spot on the ground. “We’re both in love with him, and you said you didn’t want to get in my way. Don’t you think that goes for me too?”

 

There was that adorably flustered look on Maxi’s face again. “Xianghua, I never asked you to accommodate my feelings.”

 

“You don’t have to. We’re friends,” she said. “I don’t want you for a love rival, Maxi. It’s not right to break your heart for the sake of mine.”

 

“That’s… really sweet of you, but...” A few comical expressions passed over Maxi’s face, his attempts to look stoic while he wrestled with apparently genuine feelings. He shook his head.  “You’re wasting your time. Kilik’s not into me. He never will be.”

 

She extended a finger to poke him in the chest. “How are you going to know if you don’t ask?”

 

“I’m not,” he said. “I told you, I don’t care about romance or any of that shit. I care about my friends. I’d rather never know and keep my friend than overstep and have him flip out at me.”

 

“Kilik wouldn’t flip out at you. He’s too kind for that.”

 

“Well, then he’d think I’m a pervert.”

 

“Maxi, we already know you’re a pervert. And it has nothing to do with you liking other men.”

 

That drew a laugh out of him, and clearly disarmed him out of the defensive posture he was taking. “OK, fair enough. I’m the pervert.” He cocked his head at her. “But how do you think this is going to work, then? We stand there and let him pick one of us, then shake hands and the loser excuses themselves to cry?”

 

“Of course not.”

 

“If he actually wants to do this, he’s got to pick someone.”

 

“He doesn’t _have_ to.” She huffed, and looked aside. “I guess we could both…”

 

Maxi’s eyes got very wide. “Whoa, what? Seriously?”

 

“What’s that look for?”

 

“Am I hearing things, or did you actually just suggest we offer Kilik a three-way?”

 

Hearing it put in such terms did bring a little blush to her cheeks. But just like last night, the bit of self-consciousness gave way to a fiery streak of determination, the desire to embrace the moment. After all, they were heading west on a journey to confront a demonic sword that might cost them all their lives. Why worry about shame or propriety now?

 

“You know what? Sure.” She folded her arms. “If he wants to, and if it will help him feel better, then yes. That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.”

 

Not to mention, honestly, the idea came with a few lovely mental images. Having two strong, strapping, handsome gentlemen in bed with her at the same time? Oh, how _scandalous_ . Oh, what _torment._

 

She imagined, from the look that crossed Maxi’s face just then, he was imagining similar things. “If he feels more comfortable around both of us then, you know… maybe he’d actually prefer to have two of us there,” she reasoned. “Just in case.”

 

Maxi didn’t respond.

 

“Uh… or not? If you think it’s a bad idea…”

 

“Hang on,” he muttered, gazing far off into the distance. “Give me a second. I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that _you_ just came up with the idea.”

 

She smiled smugly. “I told you I wasn’t a complete innocent, didn’t I?”

 

“Those must be some interesting dirty books you’ve got.”

 

“So what do you think? Have you done that before? Slept with two people at once?”

 

He side-eyed her. “Boy, you guys must really think I’ve lived a crazy life.”

 

“Well, your reputation offers lots of crazy possibilities, you know.”

 

“Hah! Thanks.” Maxi smirked and brushed his hair back. “Believe it or not, the answer is no. But the idea intrigues me.”

 

“Come on, Maxi. You’re the self-proclaimed hedon. You know you’d be up for it.”

 

“True. Very true. But what I’m up for really isn’t the problem. It’s everything else around it.”

 

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

 

“It’s terrible and uncomfortable and we get into a huge argument in the middle and never speak to each other again?” he offered.

 

“OK. And of course we’ll avoid that, if at all possible,” Xianghua assured him. “But other than that? Worst case scenario, he says no, and it’s a little awkward at breakfast tomorrow.”

 

“That is one generous worst case scenario.”

 

“Well, he already knows I like him, and things are already awkward. So what have we got to lose?”

 

Maxi let out a strained laugh. “I wish you’d stop asking questions like that.”

 

* * *

 

He’d found a quiet, empty clearing a short distance out of the village and spent the bulk of the day working out his frustration on an innocent tree.  Again and again, he repeated his training regimen, smashing Kali-Yuga against the sturdy trunk until he’d knocked a shower of fragile leaves down around him like thick green feathers. When he’d tired himself out, he retreated into the privacy of the brush to meditate.

 

By the time Kilik came out of his trance, it was nearly sundown. As the real world reformed around him, he took a few deep breaths to re-center himself in it, to remember time and place and the physical form he occupied within them.

 

Yet again, he’d failed to clear his mind. There in his chest remained the little knot of anxiety that he’d been carrying for weeks. Maybe this was just the new normal for him. Maybe he’d have to learn to live with that constant tension, the frustrating, restless feeling that he couldn’t be rid of no matter what he tried.

 

At least a day of intense training had diminished it from last night. At least he might manage a good night’s sleep. He slung his bo over his shoulder, secured Dvapara-Yuga, and made his way back to the village.

 

The festival was still going on, and he idly observed the activity as he walked. Tonight was the final night. Soon, all of these busy people would be singing, dancing, circling the square hand-in-hand with their lovers while fireworks lit up the sky.

 

Kilik didn’t grudge anyone wanting to celebrate and have fun. But he could admit he resented them, a bit. The festival had done little but cause him trouble with Xianghua. And it wasn’t that Kilik ever expected to fall in love someday, but seeing those happy couples was a painful reminder of exactly how tainted and broken he was now. A reminder that even if he wanted, he could never have such a thing (with Xianghua, or… or anyone else.)

 

 _“So dour, Kilik…”_ He couldn’t tell whether the voice scolding him in his head was hers or Xianglian’s (it was uncanny how similar they sounded in his memories.) She used to tease him about that sort of thing too. _“Always so serious! Sitting here lonely won’t do you any good.”_

 

_“I’m not lonely. I’m training.”_

 

_“You’ve got all day tomorrow to train. Come, we’re going to play some games tonight. Why don’t you join us?”_

 

Xianglian always had a way of knowing when his natural introversion was getting the better of him. She’d pluck him right out of the dojo and drag him off to go for a walk, or to get something to eat, or even bring him to socialize with the other students. Reluctant as he was, he’d always end up having a good time, and when he’d lie down to sleep those nights, he’d always realize that she was right. He’d been lonely.

 

Kilik paused at the doorway of the inn. Around this time last night, he’d accidentally insulted Xianghua, and ever since he’d been in a foul mood. Talking and laughing with Maxi was a nice reprieve, but after that he’d given himself that painful scare, and since then he’d been keeping to himself. He slunk off this morning with barely a word to his friends, a self-imposed isolation that certainly seemed to have worried them.

 

He wondered if the two of them were out enjoying the festival now. Most likely they were, but some quiet part of him hoped they were here. He wanted to see them.

 

 _“You see?”_ In his mind’s eye, he pictured Xianglian tugging on his arm, pulling him inside. “ _No wonder you feel so terrible. You’re lonely.”_

 

Yes. He silently answered her. He really was.

 

Just then, he spotted Xianghua sitting at a table in the common. He felt a flutter of relief in his chest, and he lifted his bo so as not to hit anyone on accident as he headed over to see her. “Hi, Xianghua.”

 

She was eating from a small basket of dumplings, and there was a small clay cup clutched in her palm. When she looked up and spotted Kilik, she quickly knocked back whatever was in the cup, then set it down and smiled at him. “Hey! How’s it going?”

 

“Alright, thank you.” He sat down at her table and carefully leaned the Kali-Yuga out of the way. “Just dumplings for dinner?”

 

“No judgment, thank you.” She scooted the basket over for him to partake. “Help yourself.”

 

He shared in the dumplings, though not in the drink, which had such a powerful alcoholic scent he was surprised she wasn’t breathing fire. When he asked about it, she laughed a little nervously and said she was looking to calm herself a bit.

 

“Where’s Maxi?” asked Kilik. “I’d think this was his sort of drink.”

 

“It is,” said Xianghua. “He’ll be back soon, I’m sure.” She had adopted a restless posture, tapping her fingers on the table and wiggling her ankle beneath it as though she couldn’t be still all of a sudden.

 

Kilik thought he could guess why. Hopefully, calling attention to it might exorcise the last of the awkwardness between them. “Xianghua, I hope you don’t mind me bringing it up again. But I owe you an apology. Last night…”

 

“Ah…” She looked briefly surprised, then put on a more sheepish smile. “Thanks. But I think I’m the one who should apologize. I really overreacted.”

 

“But I hurt your feelings,” he insisted. “That wasn’t my intention, but that’s what happened. I’m sorry for upsetting you.”

 

“Apology accepted. If you’ll accept mine for losing my temper.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then everything’s forgiven.” She smiled at him and let out a sigh, as though exhaling out the last of the bad air between them. “It’s a relief, actually. I’m glad you didn’t just try to ignore it, though, to be honest, I’m pretty sure I was going to.”

 

“It doesn’t do to ignore bad energy,” said Kilik. “You have to determine the cause and find a way to let it go.”

 

“Of course, you find a way to phrase it like that.” She laughed. “But that’s good advice.”

 

“I can’t take credit for it, unfortunately. Master used to say that all the time.”

 

Oddly, clearing the air about their fight did not improve Xianghua’s demeanor. She was a bundle of nervous energy as they made pleasant small talk. She picked off the last of the dumplings, then ordered another one of those drinks. She promptly slammed it back when the barkeep brought it, and ordered a third.

 

Kilik chivalrously offered her an arm to steady herself. She gently squeezed the crook of his elbow, though didn’t seem terribly worried about losing her balance. Her fingertips traced mindless idle circles against his skin. “How’d your training go today?”

 

“It went well, I suppose. I worked up a good sweat, at least. And the weather was nice, so I didn’t come out of meditation soaked in the rain.”

 

She laughed at that, probably picturing Kilik getting drenched in the middle of his trance. “Maxi and I can always hold an umbrella over you, if you need one.”

 

“Be careful, I think your arms would get tired.”

 

“Then the rain would ruin Maxi’s hair, and he’d crawl under there with you to pout.” Xianghua grinned. “So I’d be stuck doing most of the work.”

 

It was all too easy to picture that scenario. Kilik chuckled. “And once you got tired, you’d come under too, and I’d come out of my trance with the both of you clinging to me, whining about the cold.”

 

“No wonder you like to train by yourself. We sound like a total handful.”  

 

“Maybe so.” A fond smile slid across Kilik’s face. “But you’re my favorite handfuls.”

 

After her third drink, Xianghua’s nerves finally seemed to let up a bit. She hadn’t let go of Kilik’s elbow, cradling his arm in hers, leaning on his shoulder. Traces of pink darkened her cheeks, and she was close enough that he could feel her chest stuttering as she giggled.

 

The thought had been allowed to cross his mind last night, so it was too quick for him to stop it now. _She’s beautiful. And so small here, beside me._

 

He felt the knot twisting tighter. What was the use in going down this road again? It would only lead to disappointment and despair. All the same, he couldn’t bring himself to extract his arm from her grasp.

 

She was still the slightest bit wobbly, the effects of those drinks kicking in. “Oof. Sorry.” She smirked and pressed her forehead against his shoulder. “I really drank those too fast.”

 

“Maybe you should slow down a little?”

 

“Don’t worry. I’m done for the night now.” Her fingertips switched to little figure-8 patterns, and from there into slow caresses up and down the bared skin of his arm. Her warm touch left goosebumps in its wake, shivers that sank bone-deep and then dissipated as electric little tingles.

 

He should move. He should gently slide her back out of his personal space and onto her stool. Then he’d probably watch her stumble and end up face-first on the floor, he reasoned.

 

An excuse, a different part of him insisted. She wasn’t _that_ drunk. “You don’t normally drink much,” he said, as though seeking confirmation.

 

“I know,” said Xianghua, with a little giggle in her voice. “I’m just taking the edge off.”

 

Kilik frowned. “Of what? Is everything OK?”

 

She glanced up, brown eyes meeting his gaze. There was something there, a look like she’d just been caught or called out for doing something, but he didn’t have the slightest clue what. “Yes. Everything’s fine.”

 

That answer did nothing to ease his concerns. “Are you sure? You’re acting a little strange.”

 

“I’m that transparent?” She laughed. “Wow. I thought I was better at this…”

 

“At what?” Kilik raised his eyebrow.

 

She fell silent, pressing her lips together and glancing away. For a moment, she looked into the distance, as though she might find answers there. Then she turned back to Kilik, the pink on her cheeks now closer to crimson.

 

“I want to talk to you about something,” she admitted. “I really wasn’t sure how to go about it, but…”

 

The knot became a full-fledged lump. “About last night?”

 

“No. I told you, that’s all forgiven. This is about…” Her hand found his, slim fingers slipping between the bumps of his knuckles. She squeezed tight, and it took everything he had not to close his other hand over hers.

 

“Will you come upstairs with me? I have something to ask you.”

 

Something inside him spotted the danger. It set his heart to pounding, his stomach to churning, and his palms to sweating. Every instinct told him to pull away, to push her off, to get back behind the barrier in his mind before something could slip past it that didn’t belong.

 

Maybe it was doubt, telling him that he was overthinking again. Maybe it was that loneliness that cast a pallor on his heart this evening. The desire to be in kind company. The will not to insult his friend again. The unwillingness to lose her touch. Whatever it was, it drowned out instinct.

 

“Sure,” he said, and let her keep his arm for balance, recovering his staff in his other hand.

 

She stopped them just outside the door to the room. Kilik put his hand on the knob to open it, but Xianghua touched his wrist with her other hand.

 

“So, after last night, I think we both know where I stand,” she said softly. “But I want you to know that it’s alright if you don’t feel the same way.”

 

Kilik blinked, utterly caught off-guard. “Xianghua,” he said at last. “It’s not that I…”

 

She pressed his lips with a finger to hush him mid-sentence. “It’s OK. You don’t have to explain. This really isn’t about that.”

 

“It’s… not?” he mumbled against her finger.

 

Xianghua took a breath, then lowered her hand to grasp his. She laced their fingers together and pulled herself flush against him. “Love and sex aren’t the same thing. You don’t need one to have the other. So, I want to know. If you might want…”

 

With a step forward, she had him gently pressed against the door. Her motions were hesitant, unforceful, as though she was giving him him the room to escape, if he wanted to.

 

He realized, with a pang, that he didn’t want to.

 

And with a second pang, he realized that he probably should have. Because once it was apparent he wasn’t going to move, Xianghua slid her arm over his shoulder and lifted on her tiptoes, pulling him into a kiss.

 

Then there were no more pangs, no regrets. Nothing but longing that rushed through him, pushing him to embrace her, guiding him to tilt his face and press his lips firmly to hers. He’d never kissed anyone before, and some small, panicky part of him didn’t know how. But she was insistent in her gentleness, coaxing him to turn the long press into little pecks. Her fingers slid down his chest. His eyes fell closed, and he fell into her.  

 

Those pesky urges and desires escaped from their bonds in record time, with no need for him to coax them out as he had the night before. Suddenly they were free and cheering him for having the nerve to pretend he didn’t see this coming. _She wants you, stupid. She’ll be yours, if you’ll have her. You can have her--_

 

Xianghua gave a little “oof” as her body bumped against the door, and Kilik pinned her there with deepening kisses. He could taste that liquor on her tongue, and hear her little gasps against his mouth, delighted sighs. One of her hands slipped away and reached behind, fumbling with the door, and they stumbled into the room as it opened. Kali-Yuga clattered to the floor inside the doorway as Kilik abandoned it entirely.

 

“Kilik…” Xianghua moaned his name against the renewed kiss. She gripped his shoulders, bracing herself on him as he pinned her to the wall. Her fingers slipped against Dvapara-Yuga, one of the mirrored panels clunking against his chest, and very, very suddenly, sanity reigned.

 

Kilik broke away from her, lifting his head, gasping as though he’d just been slapped. “I can’t,” he whispered. “Xianghua, I _can’t_.”

 

She looked up at him, lips shiny and parted. Her brows knitted together. “Why?”

 

“If I slip--”

 

“Kilik, listen to me.” She took a slow, steady breath, and cupped his face with her palms. “Please be honest. Do you want this?”

 

“I can’t--”

 

“Not _can_ you. Do you want to?”

 

A heavy silence filled the space between them as Kilik’s thoughts battled one another. He knew what he _should_ say, but he also knew what the answer was.

 

“ _Yes_.”

 

“You want me?”

 

“I do. So badly--” Tears stung his eyes, and he took a step back from her and into the room. “But I can’t. Xianghua, if I slip--”

 

“You won’t,” she assured him. “You’re stronger than that.”

 

“I’m not.” He shook his head. “I’ll hurt you.”  

 

“No, you won’t.” The voice came from behind. A strong hand clasped his shoulder, over the mirrored belt.

 

Kilik whipped his head up to see Maxi standing there, as though he’d already been waiting in the room. He tightened his grip and looked him in the eye.

 

“You won’t hurt anyone,” said Xianghua.

 

“No,” said Maxi. “We won’t let you.”

 

He probably thought he wore his usual bravado, but Kilik had only seen that look on Maxi’s face once before -- a thin veneer of confidence hiding a storm in his eyes. But this time, it wasn’t a storm of anger, or sorrow. It looked a lot like fear, if only Kilik wasn’t sure that Maxi wasn’t afraid of anything. And certainly not of _Kilik_.

 

Then he saw the way that Xianghua looked at Maxi, and he back at her. There were thoughts exchanged in that look, the knowing glance of two people who were not surprised to find each other in this situation.

 

“What’s going on?” asked Kilik.

 

They glanced at each other again, wrecking any chance they had of denying anything was. Xianghua’s fingers fidgeted. Maxi’s hand was shaking, almost imperceptibly.

 

“We…” She swallowed. “We both want to help, Kilik.”

 

“‘We?’” One of his eyebrows slowly rose over the other. What on earth was this? Xianghua, nervous and drinking all evening. Coming onto him, offering to sleep with him. Maxi, mysteriously gone, but not out. Waiting in the room, where she’d brought Kilik. She knew he’d be here. He knew Kilik was frustrated, and he must have mentioned it to her, and…  

 

They’d planned this. _They’d_ planned…

 

“Wait.” Kilik blinked, bewildered. “You… both? Want to…” Heat rushed to his face.

 

Xianghua cracked a somewhat sheepish grin. Maxi’s eyes betrayed a swell of that storm, and yes, it was _definitely_ fear.

 

“Well,” she murmured, “it’s really up to you. What you want.”

 

His instincts should have been warning him away. His better judgment should have been coming up with a way to politely decline. But instead, all Kilik could think of was the night before, Xianghua’s warm skin and pleading voice, Maxi’s wily grin and skilled touch, and a new, vivid fantasy: two sets of hands with his, strong and secure, holding him tight, pinning the mirror in place on his shoulder. And that fantasy was more intoxicating than any other, so powerful he didn’t have the heart to deny it.

 

Kilik broke a smile. “You could have just asked.”

 

And first things first, he took hold of Maxi and leaned in to capture his lips in a clumsy kiss. Maybe he didn’t know what he was doing, but he knew he wanted to banish that fear from his eyes, wipe it away so it’d never come back.

 

Sure enough, like the spell on him was broken, Maxi reciprocated instantly. Their chests thudded together and Maxi’s hands clutched his face as he lunged forward, slamming Kilik’s back into the wall. _He_ knew how to kiss, lips and tongue coaxing Kilik along, and his breath escaping in a long, satisfied sigh of relief. How long had he wanted to do this?

 

He let up when Kilik started gasping, though he was about the same, face flushed, eyes now clouded with much more comfortable lust. He pressed their foreheads together and let out a shaky sigh.

 

“So you do like men?” Kilik muttered.

 

Maxi laughed. The return of his usual grin made warmth bloom in Kilik’s chest. “A-and then some.”

 

Xianghua appeared beside them, slinging her arms over both of their shoulders. “See, Maxi? I told you so.”

 

“Ah, don’t start that…” He chuckled, turning his face to her. “Nobody likes a gloater.”

 

To Kilik’s surprise, they kissed, too. To his greater surprise, a warm ache tightened in his groin at the sight. The two of them that close, that casual, kissing with such effortless passion--

 

By the time they broke apart, he caught his mouth hanging open slightly. There was no mistaking the sly look in Maxi’s eyes when he noticed it. “So… shall we go to bed?”

 

Xianghua giggled. “Kilik?”

 

He swallowed. “You really think it’ll be alright?”

 

“Yeah,” said Maxi. “It’ll be fine. We trust you.”

 

“And if _you_ don’t trust you,” added Xianghua, “then you can trust us.”

 

The sentiment was so sweet as to be eye-rolling, but Kilik couldn’t stop his smile anyway. “Alright,” he murmured. “Then yes. I want both of you. Please.”

 

It was shocking how quickly the mood had lifted. Where there had only minutes before been confusion and frustration, now Kilik could only describe himself as giddy. He sat on his and Maxi’s bed, looked up to the other two for guidance, and quickly found Xianghua. She kneeled on the mattress beside him, grasped his chin, and turned his face to ease him into another kiss-- warmer, less desperate than those in the doorway. She grinned as she broke away, her eyes glittering wickedly somewhere past him.

 

“And your shirt’s already off.”

 

“You could dress this efficiently too, if you wanted.” Maxi weighed down the mattress on the other side of him, turned him, and kissed him as well. Sure enough, he’d already thrown his jacket off somewhere, baring his sculpted chest (that was honestly already on display most of the time anyway.)

 

“Then you’d never look me in the eyes again…” Xianghua mocked a plaintive sigh. She stole Kilik back so quickly he didn’t have the chance to take a breath in between.

 

They took turns kissing him that way, one then the other, until Maxi had him gasping. He let up and nipped his lower lip, dragging his teeth. Xianghua’s nimble fingers eased apart the folds of his robes and carefully dismantled the belts and buckles. Good that someone was thinking about that sort of thing, because Kilik would have just fumbled and yanked at them at this point. He couldn’t remember the last time he was so overwhelmed, with sensation, with want, with nerves.

 

“OK there, Kilik?” asked Maxi.

 

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” He swallowed. “This is… new.”

 

“Just let us know if you need anything.” Xianghua pulled the shoulder of his robe away and pressed a kiss to the bare skin. Carefully, she disentangled the fabric from beneath the Dvapara-Yuga.

 

Kilik closed his eyes and took a slow breath, as he would to meditate. Piece by piece, layer by layer, his garments peeled away, until he was bared from the waist up-- apart from the mirror, of course. “How much did you guys plan this?”

 

“We’re not great planners, turns out,” said Maxi.

 

“Yeah, we’re totally improvising now,” said Xianghua. “Could you stand up please?”

 

He obliged, and Maxi kneeled to get his boots off while Xianghua worked on his trousers. She slid her fingers under both of his waistbands, easing them over his hips. Maxi met her halfway and finished stripping him, then nudged him to sit again. Kilik’s cock was rock hard and standing at attention, and color rose in his skin as the other two drank in the sight of him.  

 

“You’re so handsome,” Xianghua sighed. He shivered to feel the soft press of her breasts against his back, the curl of her arms around him. She kissed a little path across his shoulders, her breaths dancing across his skin like ghosts.

 

Maxi, of course, had seen him nude before. But Maxi never looked at him like this before, hungry with desire, pleased as a hunter who’d just snagged his prey. He spit in his palm and rose up on his knees, wrapping his fingers around Kilik’s shaft. Kilik’s breath caught in his throat, and he shivered.

 

It was _so_ much better when someone else did it for you. Just like last night, Maxi’s grip was firm, practiced, his palm gliding silky smooth. Just like last night, he had a crafty gleam in his eyes as he watched Kilik reacting to the first few rubs.

 

Unlike last night, Maxi brought him to his lips and swirled his tongue lewdly around the tip. Then he slid Kilik into his mouth and closed his eyes.

 

“Ah…!” Kilik’s legs twitched. He jolted back out of reflex, pressing against Xianghua, who had settled into kissing the back of his neck. “Maxi!”

 

His lips curled into a semi-smile around Kilik’s shaft as he bobbed his head, taking him deeper with every stroke. Funny how he didn’t lose a bit of his swagger in the act, as pleased to show off here as he was anywhere else. Safe to say Kilik had never felt anything like this before, hot and wet, the devilishly clever ways he used his lips and tongue… to say nothing of the sight of his cock sliding in and out of his friend’s mouth.

 

“Is he good at that?” Xianghua leaned forward to murmur in his ear.

 

“Yeah… really good.”

 

“Just look at him. He loves it.”

 

Maxi hummed his assent. The vibration dragged a low groan from deep in Kilik’s throat.

 

“I can’t believe…” His fingers tangled in handfuls of the blankets beside him. Xianghua was still draped at his back, as though without her holding him down he might just float away. And he wasn’t so sure that he wouldn’t.

 

Within a minute, his chest was hitching, his legs literally shaking. “Maxi--”

 

“Mm.” Maxi let him slip from his mouth in time for a little dribble of fluid to hit his tongue. He gamely swallowed, then glanced up. “Don’t come yet.”

 

“You’re doing _that_ , and you expect me not to?”

 

“Aww, thanks for the compliment.” He beamed. “But you can hold out longer than that, Mr. Discipline.”

 

Kilik exhaled a shuddering breath. “A-alright… just give me a minute.”

 

“Here, lie back.” Xianghua gave him the room to scoot fully onto the bed, backing up until his head was near the headboard. He propped himself on his elbows, and Maxi rose from the floor, seeing to the last of his own clothes.

 

Somewhere in there, while still behind him, Xianghua had pulled off the magic trick of stripping herself naked, too. She crawled in from the side, taking advantage of Kilik’s staring to cup his face between her palms.

 

“Maybe you just need to split your attention,” she teased, brushing her lips over his. She bewitched him with long, slow kisses as she lay across his chest. Her fingers traced the deep lines of muscle, rubbed across the firm planes of pectorals, pinched at his nipples. It was not enough to entirely distract him from Maxi getting back to work, but it kept him torn between two sensations. Push and pull. Balance, balance, balance.

 

Her kisses drifted from his lips to his chin, then to the top of his collarbone. Kilik lifted his head, trying to follow her, but she poked him in the nose to ease him back. “When do I get a turn, Maxi?”  

 

Maxi pulled away with one more long drag of his tongue, then made a bit of a show out of rubbing his jaw. “Careful. He’s thick.”

 

“No worries.” With a sly glance at Kilik, she took Maxi’s place between his legs. She sucked eagerly, swirling her tongue, her slender fingers rubbing slow strokes from his balls up to her lips. Shit. If watching Maxi suck him off wasn’t hot enough, the sight of pretty little Xianghua going for it without the slightest trace of shame was… Did he actually feel lightheaded? Or was that just the scorching, twisting ache of pleasure in his groin?

 

Maxi perched at the foot of the bed, watching the scene before him approvingly. “You like getting your dick sucked, Kilik?”

 

Kilik nodded.

 

“Can’t hear you, man.”

 

“Y-yes.” He wet his lips. “Yes. It’s… incredible.”

 

Seemingly pleased that he got the monk playing along, Maxi grinned. “Good. I’ve been wanting to get my mouth on you for ages. Last night, I could hardly hold myself back.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. You ask anytime you want, and I’ll take a knee for you.” His eyes glittered as though he was imagining the way such a scene would play out. “Xianghua too. She’ll be right there to volunteer with me. Am I right?”

 

She moaned in agreement, her eyes fluttering open to lock with Kilik’s.

 

“Speaking of, I think we could spread the attention here a little more.” Maxi slid in behind Xianghua and gave her a playful smack across the ass. “Up on your knees, babe.”

 

With a little grunt of approval, she wiggled up as requested. Maxi slid beneath her, gripped her by the thighs, and eased her back to sit on his face.

 

“Oh go- _ods_ !” Xianghua’s voice cracked around Kilik’s cock. Now she was the one who had to split her attention, throwing herself into sucking with gusto while Maxi pleasured her with his wicked mouth (apparently, so wicked he could drag moans out of _anybody_ he put it to.)

 

Kilik was torn between the desire to watch, and the desire to close his eyes and revel in it. It was all just as it was last night. Indulgence, raw sexual lust rising in him, snatching away his senses, little by little. Coherent thoughts stolen one by one until nothing mattered but the physical, the desperate, animal urge to be sated.

 

Yet, he didn’t forget the reality of things. The treacherous what-ifs flitted through his mind here and there and for a moment, he thought, just maybe, he felt himself teetering.

 

But Xianghua’s keening voice brought him back to the present. Her warm hands flattened against his chest, and her weight shifted as she crawled over him. She settled her hips back to straddle him, trembling. There was the slightest gleam of anxiety in her eyes.

 

“Will you…?” she whispered. “Please?”

 

He didn’t hear what she was asking, but it wasn’t hard to guess. Kilik clasped his hands over hers and squeezed reassuringly. “Yes. It’s my first time, too.”

 

Xianghua cracked a weak smile and nodded, as though to reassure herself. Then she looked determined, reaching between her thighs to grasp his cock and position herself. She hesitated only slightly, then bit her lip as she sank down on him.

 

Ah, she was tight. Hot and slick but _tight_ as her body spread around him. He let out a breathy groan, and almost missed the sound of her soft whimper.

 

“Hey... be careful.” Kilik’s eyes widened. “Does it hurt?”

 

She bit her lip a little harder. “Ah…”

 

“Easy. A little at a time.” Maxi was kneeling behind her. He smoothed his hand up and down her spine, and spoke in a low, gentle voice. “Take a breath.”

 

Xianghua inhaled slowly and let it go with a little shudder. She took him bit by bit with careful wiggles of her hips, until she hilted him inside her with a sigh of relief. Her hips rested flush to his, and she spent a moment letting herself adjust.

 

Kilik gripped her thighs and gave a little squeeze. “Are you OK?”

 

“Yeah.” She swallowed, and smiled shyly at him. “It’s better now.”

 

“Atta girl.” Maxi ruffled her hair. “That’s the hard part.”

 

“So I’ve heard.” She laughed under her breath. “Yikes, you weren’t kidding about thick…”

 

That brought heat to Kilik’s cheeks. “Er… sorry.”

 

“Who’s complaining?” Xianghua leaned forward and experimentally rocked her hips, and the both of them gasped in response. “Oh, wow--”

 

Wow indeed. He could feel every inch of her, her hot, soft walls squeezing around him. Even the slightest of movements made his body sing, stoking that fire in his groin. With a few more fumbling tries, they both found the right way to move, and they eased into a slow, steady rhythm.

 

This was a little more nerve-wracking than kissing and touching and sucking had been. Kilik was now acutely aware of the size difference between them, the weight of Xianghua’s petite body riding him. Her eyes were closed, her expression blissful, so lost in him it was as though she’d forgotten the danger entirely.

 

(But oh, how easy it would be for him to hurt her, if he tried. If that dark thing inside him used his strength to overpower her, if it forced him to put his hands around her throat…)

 

But he didn’t. His hands stayed fully under his own control and found a place at her hips, supporting her, helping her keep the momentum of their thrusts. Her eyes locked with his and she braced herself on his shoulders, mindful of the belt. But other than that caution, there was no shame or shyness in her. She wanted him. She desperately did, and she wasn’t afraid to show it or to take him how she liked.

 

“Kilik…” Her voice came out in a moan. “Oh, Kilik, you feel so good...”

 

“S-so do you…” Too good. He wanted more. He wanted to move. He wanted to feed this energy growing inside him, to push it further and further until it burnt itself out in the great, fiery pinnacle he’d been denied last night.

 

He held tight to Xianghua’s hips and pitched himself upright. She let out a little squeak as she fell back onto the mattress and he kneeled over her. Quickly, she caught on, letting him grab her by the crook of her knees, and she groaned with approval as he plunged back into her.

 

“Ahh, yes, Kilik!”

 

“Xianghua…”

 

“Don’t stop.” She clutched his wrists and frantically rocked her hips, trying to find the rhythm again. “Please, don’t stop.”

 

This was so much better. Not that lying on his back getting pampered was bad, per se, but Kilik was an active person. There was satisfaction to be found in testing his strength, holding her hips off the bed. The indulgence of groping her thighs, and watching her writhe under him. The way she looked up at him made him feel incredible. Handsome. Desired. Things he never thought he wanted to feel.

 

And she wasn’t the only one looking at him that way. Maxi leaned languidly against the footboard, his hair attractively mussed from Xianghua’s thighs, stroking himself as he watched them. Seeing him there, knowing he was clearly enjoying himself was appealing all on its own.

 

“Maxi,” Xianghua murmured. “What are you doing?”

 

“Don’t mind me. You kids have fun.”

 

“Ahh… hold up.” She squeezed Kilik’s wrists to pause him, a moment he quite appreciated once he realized exactly how badly he needed to catch his breath. “You can’t sit out now. Nobody’s touched you yet.”

 

“I don’t mind. You looked busy.”

 

Xianghua tilted her head back to where she could see him upside down. “No slouching, lazybones. Get over here.”

 

Maxi and Kilik shot each other brief, puzzled glances, the same sort they used whenever it was clear there would be no arguing with her. He kneeled behind her on the mattress and leaned over to face her. “At your service?”

 

“Nope. I’m at yours.” She reached out to grasp his cock and give it a few gentle strokes.

 

His eyes widened. “Well, if you insist…”

 

“I do.” With that, she curled closer and took him into her mouth.

 

There were a few more mechanics to consider when Xianghua was between them, a little bit of clumsy grunting and thrusting to figure out how to move, but nothing they couldn’t manage. Soon they took her from both ends, and Maxi thoughtfully cradled her head for support. Her hand quickly found its way between her thighs and she desperately circled her fingers around her clit, enthralling herself into pure bliss.

 

An ache formed at the base of Kilik’s spine. His limbs were getting heavier, his skin sweatier, his breaths quicker, his pulse faster. There was a spring deep inside him, coiling tighter and tighter on itself with every gasp, every moan, every slick stroke adding to the torque. And somewhere, in the back of his head, an unwelcome echo was calling to him, reminding him of last time.

 

He exhaled sharply, trying to banish it like an evil spirit. His head lowered, and his eyes clenched shut. Not now. Not this time. He was in control of his body, his mind, his soul.  Dvapara-Yuga thumped against his shoulders, rattling softly with every thrust. If it came loose, he’d be gone. One little slip. One little slip, and he’d--

 

Xianghua cried out, her voice muffled with her mouth full. It dragged him straight out of his own head with a startle. His hips rocked off-kilter, and he opened his eyes to watch her moaning, shaking, frantically rubbing herself, and then she tightened on him--

 

And something snapped.

 

Not his sanity. Not the Dvapara-Yuga, or its buckles. It was the last resistance holding him back, self-control and endurance pushed beyond their limits. It burst from his groin like a beast bursting free of its tethers, a blazing, roaring, howling rush of sensation that plowed through his body mercilessly. His back arched, his muscles tensed, and he let out a haggard growl that morphed into a cry. Stars flashed before his eyes, and his thoughts went completely, blissfully blank.

 

All at once, it was over. All at once, everything came crashing back to earth, and Kilik staggered on his knees. There were arms around him, Maxi’s sturdy body against him, holding him upright. Both of his hands held the Dvapara-Yuga securely in place. Xianghua held him inside her with with her legs around him, her fingers woven with his on her hips, still gasping in her own afterglow. Both of them watched Kilik intently.

 

Kilik let out a shuddering breath. “I’m… I’m here.”

 

Xianghua swallowed. “You’re alright?”

 

“Yes. Yes, I’m… I’m fine?”

 

Maxi grinned. “Of course you are.”

 

Tears stung Kilik’s eyes. His entire body felt weak, nearly boneless, but relaxed. The knot in his chest was gone, as thought it had never been there at all. “Of course.” He laughed softly. “Of course I am.”

 

He had never known such relief. And he’d never felt such immense gratitude, comfort, absolute trust. Maxi and Xianghua were here, and as long as they were, he was secure. He was safe. He was _human_.

 

Kilik had also never felt such a sudden exhaustion that hit him like a boulder rolling down a slope. He more or less collapsed backwards into Maxi’s arms, pulling out of Xianghua as he slumped to the bed.

 

“Whoa, there!” Xianghua giggled, sitting up. “You OK?”

 

Kilik fell back against the headboard. “Ah… I think I’m dying.”

 

“Nah, you’re just sleepy,” said Maxi. “That’s what happens when you come real hard. Remember?”

 

“No.” Kilik laughed, grabbing one of the pillows to hold. “But it’s great.”

 

Maxi patted him fondly on the head, mussing his hair. Xianghua brought her knees together, rocking back and forth with a satisfied smile on her face. All three of them were content to bask in companionable silence for a few moments.

 

Then Kilik hummed. “So, ah… is it over?”

 

Xianghua and Maxi glanced at each other. “Well, do you want it to be?” asked Maxi.

 

“No.” Even though he felt on the verge of passing out at the moment. “I really don’t.”

 

“Uh oh, we’ve created a monster,” Xianghua teased.

 

“Ah, we can humor the poor guy. He’s making up for lost time.”

 

“I’m only kidding.” She sat up on her knees and stretched out her shoulders. “You take a few, Kilik, and raise your hand when you’re ready.”

 

“That sounds good.” Kilik took a deep breath and secured the pillow behind him, where he could relax against the headboard. “I think I like watching.”

 

“Perfect,” said Maxi cheerfully. “Because I didn’t come yet.”

 

“What a giver.” Xianghua crawled across the bed to him and curled her arms around his shoulders, granting him a playful kiss. “You deserve a prize for being so very patient.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Let’s see.” She pursed her lips, pretending to think hard. “Want to fuck me?”

 

“Hey.” He grinned. “Good prize.”

 

Kilik was still taken by the effortless passion between them, the way they kissed and touched and tangled together, wrestling for position. Maxi rolled atop her and her legs wrapped around his waist, and with a few adjustments he pushed inside her with a kiss.

 

“Fuck…” He huffed against her lips and propped his hands on either side of her, starting off with nice steady thrusts. “Totally worth the wait.”

 

“Nnnhh… Glad to hear it.”

 

He would have thought it would feel strange, sitting here, watching his two best friends having sex right beside him-- discomfort, or maybe even a flash of jealousy in his heart. But he was pleased to find there wasn’t any. Kilik couldn’t be jealous when they were both so clearly enjoying themselves. On the contrary, it was quite appealing.

 

“You do like to watch, don’t you?” Maxi’s eyes darted up to Kilik, and he cracked a sly grin.

 

Kilik smiled back, and didn’t even bother looking sheepish. “Maybe so.”

 

“Want a better view?”

 

“Sure?”

 

Maxi stopped moving and scooped his arms underneath Xianghua. On three, he lifted her off the mattress and forward. Xianghua yelped as her head ended up in Kilik’s lap.

 

“Oh…” Kilik hadn’t expected that. “Hello.”

 

She blinked, and tilted her head to look at him upside-down. “Hi there.”

 

Then she gasped and her eyes fluttered closed as Maxi started fucking her again. Now, Kilik not only had the intimate view of her face, but he could feel her body rocking in his lap with every thrust. “Oh, wow…”

 

Maxi looked incredibly proud of himself. “How’s that?”

 

“Gods, Maxi…” Xianghua laughed. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”

 

“Pervert,” he said, as though that explained everything.

 

From here, he could take in all the little details. Xianghua’s facial expressions were a wonder, vulnerable and pretty, her features shifting to show contentment, strain, and pleasure. Her breasts rocked gently as her body did, and the way she flushed pink from her chest all the way to her hairline. Maxi grit his teeth when he was exerting himself. It was fascinating watching his muscles move and work, almost as fascinating as the rare sight of his hair tousled and hanging in his face. Every so often he’d glance up at Kilik and lock eyes with him, loving every minute of putting on a show.

 

Having the both of them so close to him proved irresistible before long. Kilik stroked Xianghua’s sweaty hair out of her eyes for her, traced her lips with his thumb, and eventually boldened to palming her breasts. That brought him to lean closer to Maxi, whose eye contact was starting to intensify, whose grin started to look like a challenge.

 

“Gods, you’re gorgeous,” he said to Xianghua. “I’d be happy to have this tight little body every night.”

 

“F-flatterer,” she accused. “Keep it up and maybe I’ll let you.”

 

“Hey, don’t threaten me with a good time.” He locked eyes with Kilik. “You want back in, Kilik? You want to fuck her again? You sure like what you see, don’t you?”

 

Kilik didn’t answer just yet, giving Maxi a look like he wanted to hear more.

 

“Not that I blame you. You guys looked so hot together. You could switch places with me and I could watch you two all night. I might come more than both of you put together.”

 

He paused for a breath, reaching up to sweep his hair out of his face. “Or am I the one you want?” A playful gleam lit up his eyes. “You think you’ll want to fuck me someday? I’m not as pretty as her, but I promise, I’ll make you feel just as good.”

 

“Do I get to watch that time?” Xianghua chimed in. She had her hands over Kilik’s, encouraging the vigorous fondling of her breasts.  

 

“Hell yeah. The only thing better than getting wrecked by a handsome guy like Kilik is somebody else watching me and loving it, too.”

 

Kilik chuckled low in his throat. “Are you trying to make me blush, Maxi?”

 

“Maybe.” He smirked, and paused for a moment to catch his breath. “I can’t kiss you from here, so I’ve got to keep your attention _somehow_.”

 

“You’ve definitely got my attention.” Kilik wet his lips. “And don’t worry. I’d certainly love to fuck you.”

 

For all Maxi loved to get a rise out of Kilik, and for all the time he spent coming up with new ways to do it, it was deeply satisfying to turn the tables on him for once. Such a filthy word falling from the monk’s lips was guaranteed to surprise him, but he looked even more surprised by the context, actually stunned speechless.

 

“Well,” he said at last. “You’ve had a big night. I did mean _someday…_ ”

 

Kilik did his best to put confidence like Maxi’s in his expression. “No time like the present.”

 

“Aren’t you still tired?”

 

“Not for long.”

 

“Nope,” Xianghua agreed. “He’s already poking me in the back of the head.”

 

“Oh, sorry…”

 

“Don’t apologize. You boys go ahead and have some fun,” she said, patting Maxi on the thigh. “I could use a breather.”

 

“Whoa. Hang on.” He looked like he was still trying to catch up with the turn events had taken. “I mean… do you want me to finish you off first?”

 

“I can wait. Besides, I’m not done with you yet, Mister.”

 

Maxi looked back and forth between Kilik and Xianghua with wide eyes. “Alright…”

 

Xianghua extricated herself from between them and took a spot at the footboard, combing her fingers to get her hair out of her face. Meanwhile, Maxi kneeled there in the middle of the bed looking a bit apprehensive, like someone had just told him he was about to get a haircut. It wasn’t anywhere near the odd fear he’d shown earlier, but it was still strange to see anything short of utter self-assurance on his face.

 

(Sometime, when they weren’t in the middle of group sex, he thought he’d ask Maxi what made him unsure of himself when it came to Kilik.)

 

Just as earlier, Kilik was determined that look not stay there for long. He crawled towards him from the headboard, offering a smile that he hoped was reassuring.  “We don’t have to do it today, if you don’t want to.”

 

“No,” said Maxi quickly, and most of the apprehension melted away. “I want to. You don’t even know how much.”

 

“Alright.” Kilik cupped his jaw with his hand, an echo of the way Maxi touched him last night (that he definitely _had_ noticed.) “Then kiss me again?”

 

Maxi cracked a smile, warm and wry. “Love to.”

 

Their lips met in a soft press that quickly escalated, just as it had by the door. Kilik put his arms around him and Maxi dragged himself in with a collision of chest to chest that toppled them horizontal on the mattress. Maxi rolled on top, and probably expected to stay there, but would soon find Kilik pushing back. They tilted from side to side, clutching, gripping, gasping for breath between kisses, tangling up in one another.

 

Kilik had indeed been well on his way to recovery, and now his cock hung hard and heavy between his legs like it hadn’t gotten any attention at all yet. It was still plenty slick from before, and Maxi’s hand slid easily as he sheathed his fist around him to stroke. His other hand held the side of Kilik’s face and eased him into long, lazy kisses. So lazy, soon, that they were little more than erotic brushes of lips and shared breath.

 

“Should be OK…” Maxi muttered.

 

“What?”

 

“S’better with something like oil. But you’re still pretty wet… I can take you.”

 

“Ahem.”

 

Xianghua appeared in the periphery, holding out a small glass bottle sealed with a cork. Kilik recognized it as the oil Maxi lovingly massaged into his hair whenever he bathed.

 

Maxi perked up, reaching out to snag it from her. “Ah, I forgot about that. Thanks.”

 

“You’re welcome,” she said, and settled back in her spot by the footboard. “Will that work?”

 

“Yeah, perfect.”

 

“Hey, now your hair gets to participate too,” murmured Kilik.

 

Maxi snorted, and Xianghua burst out laughing. “Awww! Maxi and his three best friends!”

 

“Har har har. You guys are a laugh riot.” Maxi couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “Just be glad this means I won’t be limping out on the road tomorrow.”

 

He sat up enough to pour a little oil into his palm without spilling it all over, then sealed the bottle and tossed it back to Xianghua. Then he rolled onto his back, and Kilik followed, rolling atop him. “How do you want me?” asked Kilik.  

 

“Right there.” Maxi rubbed his palms together and went back to slowly stroking Kilik’s cock, gilding it with a layer of oil. His other hand slipped behind his back and he squirmed, reaching down to finger himself. Kilik couldn’t see that part, but watching Maxi bite his lip and feeling his hips moving beneath him was nearly as good.

 

In the meantime, Kilik smoothed his fingers through Maxi’s now impossibly messy hair. “You don’t have to do all the work for me, you know.”

 

“It’s alright. You have to do all the work in a minute.”

 

“Fair enough. You could let someone else take care of you for once, though.”

 

“Look who’s talking.”

 

“Well, it’s good advice.” Kilik smirked and leaned in to press a grateful kiss to his mouth. “A friend taught me once.”

 

“Sounds like a smart guy. A really good-looking smart guy.”

 

“And so humble, too.”

 

At last, Maxi seemed satisfied with his own preparations. He wrapped his legs around Kilik’s waist. Kilik rested his hand on Maxi’s shoulder and moved his hips, the tip of his cock prodding until he found his opening.

 

“Should I go slowly?”

 

“I’m fine. Do what you want.”

 

“I’m asking what _you_ want.”

 

Maxi arched his back, shifting his ass a little to get him perfectly aligned. “You. I want you in me.”

 

Kilik bit his lip and took a breath, settling his pounding heart. There wasn’t any need to be nervous, beyond the excitement of a very, very new experience. He canted his hips forward until he could just feel the resistant pressure, and with a little push, he slipped inside. “Ah…”

 

“Shit.” Maxi hissed, and a quiver went all the way up his back. “S’been a while.”

 

“OK?”

 

“Yeah. Come on in.”

 

Despite the invitation, Kilik took his time. In part, to avoid hurting Maxi, no matter the bravado he wanted to put on. In part, because every inch he slipped into him made the most incredible expression on his face. Eyes closed, lips parted, pleasure ghosting over his features like a fog. He bit down on his lip as Kilik hilted in him, and let free a shuddering sigh. “You are thick, holy shit...”

 

“I shouldn’t apologize for that, should I?”

 

“No way.”

 

He spent a few seconds getting used to the angle, the squeeze, how it felt to be inside a man instead of a woman. Then Kilik got to work, easing out and in, nice and steady. “Like this?”

 

“Uh huh.” Maxi moved to match him, and he knew the rhythm was perfect when he heard his breath hitch.

 

Xianghua watched them with fascination, reclining on her side. Two of her fingers idly rubbed between her thighs. “You guys look really hot together.”

 

Kilik smirked. “You like to watch too?”

 

“Man, this arrangement’s working out better than I ever-- ahhh…” Maxi was interrupted mid-sentence by a grunt. “Ahh, shit!”

 

“What?”

 

“Shit, Kilik, right there… hit me right there...”

 

“Here?” He snapped his hips a little harder, at the same angle.

 

“Ahh! Yes!” Maxi gripped Kilik’s elbows, and squeezed hard enough it hurt a bit. That did not in any way make it less appealing.

 

It was amazing to be the target of Maxi’s lewd attention, but it was doubly amazing to be the one providing it to him. He was loud and shameless and extremely receptive, not afraid to beg for what he wanted, and eager to praise it when he got it. He wanted it harder, faster, and he rewarded the effort with whimpers and panting breaths and Kilik’s name, moaned against heated kisses.

 

He practically whined when Kilik pulled out of him, then set a hand on Maxi’s shoulder to flip him. “Turn over.”

 

“Fuck yeah.” Maxi obliged and got up on his knees, gripping the headboard for balance. “Like this?”

 

“Yeah.” Kilik pinned his hands in place and sidled up behind him, plunging back in. He wasn’t quite as gentle and slow this time, falling quickly into a harder pace, every thrust punctuated with the slap of skin on skin. Not only did this give him an incredible view of Maxi’s sculpted back, but this position allowed for enough force to turn the praise into something near reverence.

 

“Yes. Yes, please. Please. Fuck. Fuck.” Filthy reverence, but reverence all the same. “I’m gonna fucking come. Kilik, don’t stop--”

 

A cheeky little idea came to him. Quite suddenly, Kilik stopped moving and pulled out. Maxi rebounded off of him and nearly back off the headboard, but caught himself once he realized what had happened. “I said _don’t_ stop.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Then don’t stop!”

 

“Ask me nicely.”

 

After a pause, Maxi burst out laughing. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Don’t do this to me, man.”

 

“That’s not asking nicely.”

 

Maxi threw him a wild-eyed look over his shoulder, a look that read that Kilik was going to pay for this, and dearly, at the first opportunity. Then he gamely sucked in a breath and played along. “Please, Kilik. I’m begging you. Please, please, keep fucking me.”

 

“How long?”

 

“‘Til I come. Then you can fuck me all night if you want, I’ll love it, just please, _please…_ ”

 

“Hey Maxi!” Xianghua leaned against the headboard beside him, a big smile on her face. “I’m ready for you now.”

 

“Are you kidding me?”

 

“Nope.” She tossed a little wink at Kilik. “I’m sure Kilik doesn’t mind.”

 

“Not at all.” If this was how fun it was to tease, it was no wonder Maxi did it all the time. “The more the merrier.”

 

“Ahh, you guys are the worst...” Maxi was still laughing, even if he looked on the verge of tears. “What’d I do to deserve this?”

 

“I’m sure you’ll find a way to repay us.” Xianghua ducked under Maxi’s arm to slip between him and the headboard. “Now, do you want me on my knees, or on my back?”

 

“Back,” said Maxi. “I want to see every evil little look on your face.”

 

Xianghua lay back on the pillows, and Maxi wore a mock-grudging look as he perched over her, like it was the biggest chore in the world to finish fucking her. She cradled his face in her hands as he started thrusting, and leaned up to give him an assuaging kiss. “Don’t pout. It’ll be worth your while.”

 

“Oh yeah?”

 

“Sure. We’ll work something out.”

 

Maxi jolted as Kilik gripped his shoulders from behind, and eased up to lean against his back. “Are you fucking serious?”

 

“Are you?” Kilik smirked, and pushed inside him again.

 

“Holy shit.” Maxi let his head drop between his shoulders, and hissed out a laugh. “Ahaha.. you guys are the best…”

 

Apparently (surprisingly, perhaps), even Maxi’s experience didn’t prepare him for the sensation of being sandwiched between two people. There was no shortage of grunting and giggling and awkward fumbling attempts to figure out how moving was supposed to work, but at last, like sparring, they found the rhythm they had to match. Kilik ended up setting the pace, his solid thrusts giving Maxi his own momentum, and Xianghua got to move in tandem. Three forces all together in balance, working together for one goal.

 

She came first. She let out a pretty little cry of ecstasy and clenched her eyes shut as she fell apart at the bottom of the pile. Maxi went next, unsurprisingly, losing himself in a yell and a jilting of his hips that threw off the other two. He gripped Xianghua’s knees and arched back against Kilik, shaking as he went crashing through it. His head fell forward slightly as he gasped for breath, but he gamely stayed upright.

 

Meanwhile, Kilik braced him for his few final thrusts. There was far less drama in his own climax this time, his brain too blissfully drugged by the moment to distract or panic him. He groaned aloud as he burst inside Maxi, then caught himself on the headboard before he toppled onto either of his friends. Exhaustion sucked the energy from his limbs, and he slumped onto the mattress to join them, all three gasping for breath in the aftermath.

 

He rolled aside and wrapped his arms around Maxi and Xianghua, pulling them in tight. Maxi, too, was apparently a cuddler, a fact which deeply pleased him for some reason. Xianghua fumbled around on the bedside table for a second, then crawled over Maxi to snugly fit between the two men in a great, warm pile.

 

“Thank you,” Kilik whispered. “Thank you so much. Both of you.”

 

“You’re welcome.” Xianghua sighed happily.

 

Maxi sounded half-asleep already. “Anytime.”

 

It was quiet for several minutes as reality reformed around them, like coming out of a meditative trance. Kilik was suddenly aware of everything. Where they were. What they faced. The ache in his back and limbs, the sweat beading and dripping down his skin, the chill in the air. The weight of the Dvapara-Yuga on his shoulder, the way it dug into his back, the way it was the only thing standing between him and the curse inside him that threatened to destroy his mind as thoroughly as it had his body and soul.

 

Well… not the only thing.

 

“Hey, guys? Question.”

 

Maxi cracked an eye open, shrouded behind the sweaty mess of his hair. “Mmph?”

 

Xianghua was idly toying with something in her fingers, a little purple charm shaped like a flower. “Yes?”

 

Kilik grinned. “Next time, can I be in the middle?”


End file.
